Objective

In this study, we’ll see that God is sovereign over history and He always accomplishes His will.

Key Verse

Romans 15:4: For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

Introduction

When you open your Bible to the book of Joshua, you enter a new section of God’s Word. The first five books of the Bible—Genesis through Deuteronomy—contain much history, but they also include laws, genealogies, and prophecies. The next twelve books, from Joshua to Esther, focus entirely on telling us the story of God’s people. We call these the history books of the Old Testament.

These history books are not just records of what happened long ago. They show us how God continued to lead His people through good times and difficult times. They reveal important truths about God’s character and His faithfulness to His promises. Most importantly, they help us understand how God was preparing the world for the coming of Jesus Christ.

Israel’s entire history was shaped by the land that God promised to give them. From the time God first called Abraham until the close of the Old Testament, everything centered on this promised land. We can understand Israel’s history by looking at their relationship to this land. Their story can be divided into five clear periods that we will explore in this lesson.

As we study these history books together, we need to look for two main lessons that appear again and again throughout Israel’s story. These lessons reveal the great contrast between human nature and God’s nature:

• Man’s heart is stubborn and rebellious – People continually turn away from God and choose their own way
• God’s heart is faithful and merciful – Even when His people fail Him, He remains true to His promises and continues to work out His plan of salvation

(Notebook Moment: Think about your own life story. Can you see times when you have been stubborn or rebellious toward God? Can you also see times when God has been faithful and merciful to you despite your failures? Write down one example of each.)

In this lesson, we will look at each of these five periods and discover how God’s sovereignty shines through every part of Israel’s history. We will see that no matter what happens—whether His people are obedient or disobedient, whether they experience blessing or judgment—God always accomplishes His will. His plan to bring salvation to the world through Jesus Christ moved forward through every generation.

• Toward the land – waiting for the promise
• Into the land – conquering their inheritance
• In the land – living under judges and kings
• Away from the land – carried into exile
• Back to the land – returning home as a remnant

Toward the Land

This first period in Israel’s history takes us back to the very beginning of God’s relationship with His chosen people. It is described in the first five books of the Bible, where we see God calling one man and making promises that would shape the destiny of the entire world.

God called Abraham out of a pagan land and gave him three magnificent promises. These promises form the foundation for everything that follows in Israel’s history. Let us read what God said to Abraham:

Genesis 12:1-3: The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

Genesis 15:18-21: On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates—the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.”

From these passages, we can see the three promises that God made to Abraham:

• God would make a great nation from Abraham’s family – From one childless man, God would create a people as numerous as the stars
• God would give them a land to live in – A specific territory that would belong to Abraham’s descendants forever
• God would bless all the earth through Abraham – Through this family, salvation would come to every nation

These were not small promises. They were impossible promises that only God could fulfill. Abraham had no children, no land, and no visible way that his family could bless the entire world. Yet God spoke these promises as certainties, not possibilities.

God confirmed these same promises to Abraham’s son Isaac and to his grandson Jacob. The promises did not depend on human effort or worthiness. They rested entirely on God’s faithfulness and power. Consider how the psalmist celebrates this truth:

Psalm 105:6-10: You his servants, the descendants of Abraham, his chosen ones, the children of Jacob. He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth. He remembers his covenant forever, the promise he made, for a thousand generations, the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac. He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant.

During this entire period, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob lived as pilgrims in the land that God had promised to give them. They owned no cities, built no permanent buildings, and controlled no territory. They lived in tents and moved from place to place. It took tremendous faith and patience to believe that God would fulfill His promise when they could see no evidence of it happening.

The book of Hebrews helps us understand the faith that these patriarchs demonstrated:

Hebrews 11:13: All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.

The patriarchs understood something important about God’s promises. Even when they could not see how God would fulfill them, they believed that He would be faithful. They lived their entire lives looking ahead to something they would never see with their physical eyes.

✏️ Notebook Moment: The patriarchs waited their whole lives for promises they never saw fulfilled in their lifetime. What promises from God are you waiting to see fulfilled? How does the example of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob encourage you to keep trusting God even when you cannot see how He will work?

This period of waiting and trusting gives us a beautiful picture of our own spiritual journey. Just as the patriarchs were looking ahead to the fulfillment of God’s earthly promises, we are looking ahead to the fulfillment of God’s heavenly promises. We too live as pilgrims in this world, waiting for our true home with God.

Philippians 3:20-21: But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

Romans 8:21: that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

The period “toward the land” teaches us that God’s timing is perfect, even when it seems slow to us. The patriarchs had to wait, but their waiting was not wasted time. During these years, God was building their faith, shaping their character, and preparing them for what He would do through their descendants. He was also preparing the world for the coming of Jesus Christ, who would be the ultimate fulfillment of the promise to bless all nations through Abraham’s family.

Into the Land

After four hundred years of slavery in Egypt and forty years of wandering in the wilderness, the time finally came for God’s people to enter the land He had promised them. God reminded Israel that He would be faithful to bring them into their inheritance. Listen to His promise:

Exodus 23:27-33: I will send my terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run. I will send the hornet ahead of you to drive the Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites out of your way. But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals too numerous for you. Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land. I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, and from the desert to the Euphrates River. I will give into your hands the people who live in the land, and you will drive them out before you. Do not make a covenant with them or with their gods. Do not let them live in your land or they will cause you to sin against me, because the worship of their gods will certainly be a snare to you.

The book of Joshua tells us the exciting story of how Israel came into the land and took possession of it. This was not a peaceful settlement. Israel had to fight to take possession of what God had promised them. The Canaanites did not simply move away to make room for God’s people. There were battles to fight, cities to conquer, and enemies to defeat.

Yet God gave His people complete victory. Every promise He had made was fulfilled exactly as He said it would be. Notice how the writer of Joshua summarizes this remarkable period:

Joshua 21:43-45: So the Lord gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their ancestors, and they took possession of it and settled there. The Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their ancestors. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the Lord gave all their enemies into their hands. Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.

This conquest of the promised land gives us a beautiful picture of our spiritual warfare as Christians. Just as Israel had to fight to take possession of their physical inheritance, we are engaged in a spiritual battle to live in the victory that God has given us through Jesus Christ. God has not left us defenseless in this battle. He has given us everything we need to be victorious over sin, Satan, and the world.

Ephesians 6:11-17: Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

The twelve tribes of Israel each received their own inheritance in the promised land. God divided the land fairly among His people, and each family received a portion that would belong to them forever. This too points us to the wonderful truth that we have an inheritance in Jesus Christ.

Joshua 14:5: So the Israelites divided the land, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Psalm 37:18: The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care, and their inheritance will endure forever.

Colossians 1:12: And giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.

Colossians 3:24: Since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

✏️ Notebook Moment: Israel had to fight to possess what God had already promised them. In your own Christian life, what victories has God promised you that you still need to “fight” for through prayer, obedience, and faith? What inheritance in Christ do you need to claim more fully?

The period of entering the land shows us that God’s promises always come to pass, but sometimes we must actively participate in claiming what He has given us. Israel could not sit passively and expect the land to fall into their hands. They had to march, fight, and conquer. In the same way, we cannot live passively as Christians and expect to experience all the victories God has made available to us. We must put on His armor, fight the good fight of faith, and actively claim our inheritance in Christ.

In the Land

After God’s people entered the Promised Land and settled in, their story continued to unfold. The books of Judges through 2 Chronicles describe this next major period, showing us what life was like for Israel once they lived in the land God had given them. This era of Israel’s history can be understood by looking at three distinct time periods:

• Period of the judges
• Period of the united kingdom (Saul, David, Solomon)
• Period of the divided kingdom

You may remember that God had given Israel a clear promise: if they were obedient to Him, He would bless them richly. This promise was not a light suggestion; it was a foundational principle for their life in the land. It highlighted the deep connection between their actions and God’s abundant provision and favor.

Deuteronomy 28:1-14: If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God: You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed. You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out. The Lord will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from seven. The Lord will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The Lord your God will bless you in the land he is giving you. The Lord will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the Lord your God and walk in obedience to him. Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they will fear you. The Lord will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you. The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you today and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom.

Before they even entered the land, Israel was warned about false gods. God was clear that following these other paths would lead them astray from His blessings and His purposes for them. He knew the dangers they faced and gave them precise instructions to remain faithful to Him alone.

Deuteronomy 12:29-32: The Lord your God will cut off before you the nations you are about to invade and dispossess. When you have driven them out and settled in their land, and after they have been destroyed before you, be careful not to be ensnared by inquiring about their gods, saying, “How do these nations serve their gods? We will do the same.” You must not worship the Lord your God in their way, because in their worship of their gods they do all kinds of detestable things the Lord hates. Even their sons and daughters they burn in the fire as sacrifices to their gods. See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it.

However, despite these clear warnings, Israel constantly fell into idolatry. This happened repeatedly throughout the period of the judges and continued into the time of the kings. It’s notable that the northern kingdom, in particular, was more idolatrous than the southern kingdom, often establishing centers of worship for other deities right within their borders. You can see examples of this repeated pattern in passages like:

Judges 17:30: And the Israelites persisted in their unfaithfulness while Micah’s idol remained in Dan.

1 Kings 12:25-33: After Jeroboam had built up Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there, he went out and built Peniel. He thought to himself, “Unless this kingdom of mine returns to David’s house, the kingdom will now return to the house of David. If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, they will again give their allegiance to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. Then they will kill me and return to King Rehoboam.” After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” One he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan. And this thing became a sin; the people went into the presence of the one in Bethel and went as far as Dan to worship the other. Jeroboam built shrines on high places and appointed priests from all sorts of people, even though they were not Levites. He instituted a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the festival held in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. This he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves he had made. And he also installed priests at the high places he had made. On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a month of his own choosing, he offered sacrifices on the altar he had built at Bethel. So he instituted the festival for the Israelites and went up to the altar to make offerings.

Israel’s great sin was that they forgot the deliverance of God. They forgot the mighty ways He had rescued them and provided for them throughout their history. They also forgot that God wanted them to be a holy people, set apart for His purposes and His glory among the nations. The psalmist expresses God’s sorrow over this forgetfulness, highlighting how deeply it grieved Him:

Psalm 78:40-42: How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved him in the wasteland! Again and again they tested God; they stirred up the Holy One of Israel. They did not remember his power— the day he redeemed them from the oppressor.

In response to Israel’s repeated turning away, God sent prophets to His people. These faithful messengers reminded Israel of God’s covenant, which was the binding agreement He had made with them. They also warned Israel of what would happen if they did not return to God. These prophets were often unpopular, delivering challenging messages, but they remained steadfast in calling Israel back to their relationship with the Lord, because God desires a relationship with His people.

1 Kings 18:36-39: At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.” Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!”

2 Kings 17:13-14: Again and again the Lord warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers: “Turn from your evil ways and keep my commands and decrees, in accordance with the entire Law that I commanded your ancestors to obey and that I sent to you through my servants the prophets.” But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their ancestors, who did not trust in the Lord their God.

Despite Israel’s repeated failures during this period, there are many spiritual lessons that we learn from these stories:

• We must constantly guard our hearts against idolatry, staying focused on the one true God.
• God is looking for men and women who have a heart for Him, individuals who are truly devoted.
• God always accomplishes His will despite our failures, because His plans are greater than our shortcomings.
• God can even use the nations to accomplish His purposes, demonstrating His ultimate sovereignty over all things.

(Notebook Moment: As you reflect on Israel’s repeated challenges in the land, what steps can you take in your own life to actively remember God’s deliverance and remain focused on His purposes for you?)

Away from the Land

As we continue through Israel’s history, we come to a sad, but very important time: “Away from the Land.” God had sent prophets to His people during the time of the judges and kings. These prophets gave a clear message. They warned Israel that bad things would happen if they kept refusing to obey God and come back to Him.

Sadly, Israel often did not listen to these warnings. Because they kept turning away from God, something very difficult finally happened: God’s people were taken away from the land He had promised them. This punishment happened in two main steps. First, the northern kingdom of Israel, which had a lot of idolatry and ignored God’s agreement, was captured by the Assyrians. Then, about 150 years later, the southern kingdom of Judah also fell. Even though Judah sometimes obeyed God, their unfaithfulness led them to be taken away by the Babylonians. This meant that God’s chosen people were far from their land, which was a very important part of who they were and God’s promises to them.

To understand how serious this event was, think about the words that describe their time away from the land:

2 Kings 17:5-20: The king of Assyria invaded the entire land, marched against Samaria and laid siege to it for three years. In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River and in the towns of the Medes. All this took place because the Israelites had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods and followed the practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before them, as well as the practices that the kings of Israel had introduced. The Israelites secretly did things against the Lord their God that were not right. They built themselves high places in all their towns, from watchtower to fortified city. They set up sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree. At every high place they burned incense, as the nations whom the Lord had driven out before them had done. They did wicked things that aroused the Lord’s anger. They served idols, though the Lord had said to them, “You shall not do this.” The Lord warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers: “Turn from your evil ways and keep my commands and decrees, in accordance with the entire Law that I commanded your ancestors to obey and that I sent to you through my servants the prophets.” But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their ancestors, who did not trust in the Lord their God. They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with his ancestors and the statutes he had warned them to keep. They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless. They imitated the nations around them although the Lord had ordered them not to do as they did. They forsook all the commands of the Lord their God and made for themselves two idols cast in the shape of calves, and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped Baal. They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire. They practiced divination and sought omens and sold themselves to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger. So the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah was left, and even Judah did not keep the commands of the Lord their God. They followed the practices Israel had introduced. Therefore the Lord rejected all the people of Israel; he afflicted them and gave them into the hands of plunderers, until he thrust them from his presence.

2 Kings 18:11-12: The king of Assyria deported Israel to Assyria and put them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River and in towns of the Medes. This happened because they had not obeyed the Lord their God, but had violated his covenant—all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded. They neither listened to the commands nor carried them out.

2 Kings 25:8-11: On the seventh day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard, an official of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. He set fire to the temple of the Lord and the royal palace and every important building in Jerusalem; he burned them all down. The whole Babylonian army under the commander of the imperial guard broke down the walls around Jerusalem. Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard carried into exile the people who remained in the city, along with the rest of the populace and those who had deserted to the king of Babylon.

Even during this difficult time of being held captive, God showed that He was faithful to His people. His promises were not forgotten, even when Israel was far from home. The prophet Jeremiah, who lived when Judah was taken away, told them that God would indeed bring them back after a certain time. This message gave them hope when they felt deep sadness, reminding them that God’s love lasts forever, even when they disobeyed.

Jeremiah 29:10-14: This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

While many of God’s people were away, there was a small group of faithful Jews who strongly wanted to go back to their land. Even in a foreign place, their hearts longed for Jerusalem and a chance to worship God in their own country. The Psalms powerfully show their sadness and their hopes:

Psalm 137:1-4: By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. There on the poplars we hung our harps, for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land?

But God’s faithfulness also reached those who stayed behind or lived their whole lives in the country that held them captive. We see a strong example of this in the story of Esther. In her story, God’s hidden hand protected His people from being destroyed, even without a prophet speaking or God’s direct help being clearly stated. This is a powerful reminder that God is working in all situations, even when we cannot see or hear Him directly.

(Notebook Moment: The period “Away from the Land” shows God’s faithfulness even in judgment. Can you think of a time in your life when you experienced difficult consequences, yet God still showed His faithfulness or worked in unexpected ways?)

Back to the Land

After the long period of being “Away from the Land,” God, in His perfect timing, raised up two faithful men to lead His people back home. These were Ezra and Nehemiah. Their work was important for bringing Israel back to the Promised Land and helping them restore their relationship with God.

Nehemiah led the effort to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. This was a huge task, and it faced a lot of opposition. But with God’s help and Nehemiah’s strong leadership, the walls were finished in a very short time. This was not just about building physical walls; it was also about giving the people a sense of safety and identity again.

Nehemiah 1:1-10: The words of Nehemiah son of Hakaliah: In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that survived the exile, and about Jerusalem. They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.” When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. Then I said: “Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses. Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiles are in the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’ They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand.”

Ezra, who was a priest and a skilled teacher of God’s Law, focused on rebuilding the temple and bringing the people back to worship God correctly. He gathered the people and read God’s Law to them, explaining its meaning so they could understand and apply it to their lives. This was a spiritual rebuilding, reminding Israel of their true purpose and how to live according to God’s will.

Ezra 7:6-10: This Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses, which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him. Some of the Israelites, including priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers and temple servants, also came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes. Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king. He had begun his journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was on him. For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.

It’s important to note that only a small part of God’s people came back to the land. Many stayed in the foreign lands where they had been taken. Yet, God continued to work through this small group who were faithful to Him. They held onto the promise of the Messiah, looking forward to the one who would come to save them. Even in these later books of the Old Testament, we see hints of the coming Christ.

Malachi 3:16: Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name.

Malachi 4:2: But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves.

Luke 2:25-26: Now there was in Jerusalem a man named Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the Messiah of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.

(Notebook Moment: Reflect on the dedication of Nehemiah and Ezra in rebuilding the physical and spiritual aspects of Israel’s life. What area in your life, spiritual or practical, do you feel God is calling you to “rebuild” or restore with dedicated effort?)

Conclusion

As we finish our look at the history books of the Old Testament, we can see how truly important they are. The Apostle Paul, when he shared the good news of Jesus, often spoke about Israel’s history. He knew it was key for people to understand how God prepared the way for Christ’s coming.

Acts 13:16-23: Standing up, Paul motioned with his hand and said: “Fellow Israelites and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me! The God of the people of Israel chose our ancestors; he made the people prosper during their stay in Egypt; with mighty power he led them out of that country; for forty years he endured their conduct in the wilderness; he overthrew seven nations in Canaan and gave their land to his people as their inheritance. All this took about 450 years. After this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet. Then the people asked for a king, and he gave them Saul son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years. After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’ From this man’s descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised.

The Old Testament isn’t just a collection of old stories. It’s a continuous story that shows us God’s amazing plan. From the very beginning, God was working to bring about the arrival of Jesus. Every event, every person, and every promise in the Old Testament points forward to Jesus Christ. He is the central theme of all of Scripture.

So, when you study the Old Testament, remember to always look for Jesus. He is the key to understanding God’s whole message. The history books, with all their stories of human struggles and God’s faithfulness, show us how God was slowly, carefully, and perfectly setting the stage for the greatest event in human history: the coming of His Son, our Savior. It reminds us that God is truly sovereign over history, and He always keeps His promises.

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