Old Testament Context: Part 2

The second segment of the Old Testament is that of the Jewish kingdom. This section continues the record of how God kept His redemptive plan alive; it adds the new aspect that Christ is from the line of David and shows how God protects and blesses David’s line. This section is also significant in showing with eye-opening clarity man’s repeated failures and God’s persistent forgiveness and mercy. Beginning around 1100 B.C., this segment concludes in 586 B.C., a period of just over 500 years. The books covered in this time frame include history, prophecy, and poetry. The history is found in the books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles.

I SAMUEL: Samuel was born in the closing years of the judges. As a prophet who provides a transition between the judges and the kings, he is included in the record of the kingdom. Saul is anointed as king in chapter 10. Because of Saul’s disobedience, God chooses David as the next king rather than continuing Saul’s line. Conflict exists early on between Saul and David; David spends many years on the run and in hiding. The book ends when Saul dies in battle with the Philistines.
I CHRONICLES: The first nine chapters are essentially genealogy, beginning with Adam. Several lists of people are given, including descendants of the sons of Jacob. Chapter 10 begins the historical narrative by relating the death of Saul. The book is about David’s reign, ending as David sets Solomon as the next king and arranges for the building of the temple. Other than the historically older genealogical record at the beginning of the book, this book is concurrent with II Samuel.
II SAMUEL: This book begins with the mourning for Saul, after which David was anointed king, and the book is about David’s kingship. David’s reign was filled with fighting other nations as well as internal rebellions; through his reign, he was able to achieve a degree of peace for the nation. The book ends as David approaches death.
I KINGS: During his last days, David establishes Solomon as the next king. After Solomon’s death, the kingdom is divided; Judah (and Benjamin) follow Solomon’s son Rehoboam, while the other ten tribes (Israel) follow Jeroboam. I Kings records stories from both kingdoms. Eight of Judah’s twenty kings were godly, but none of Israel’s nineteen followed God. The prophet Elijah ministers during this time. I Kings ends with the death of Jehoshaphat in Judah (the 4^th king of Judah under the divided kingdom).
II KINGS: The outstanding transition from I Kings is the role of prophet shifting from Elijah to Elisha. Elisha’s stories make up a significant part of the book. The story follows Israel through its captivity to Assyria and then Judah through its captivity to Babylon and the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple.
II CHRONICLES: The book begins with the reign of Solomon and the temple construction. It then follows the kingdom of Judah until its destruction and captivity to Babylon. The final verses occur after 70 years of captivity when Cyrus announces that he will rebuild the temple in Jerusalem and that the Jews may return for that project. This book parallels both I and II Kings.

A list may be helpful for keeping the characters straight and for seeing the relationship between the history and prophecy books. Each line begins with the king of Judah (underlined). The notation (g) designates a godly king. After the colon are the kings of Israel who lived at the same time, followed in parenthesis by prophets who ministered in the same time frame.

Rehoboam: Jeroboam                         
Abijah: Jeroboam
Asa (g): Jeroboam, Nadab, Baasha, Elah, Zimri, Omri, Ahab
Jehoshaphat (g): Ahab, Ahaziah, J(eh)oram; (Elijah)
Jehoram: Je(ho)ram; (Elijah, Elisha)        
Ahaziah: Je(ho)ram; (Elisha)
Queen Athaliah: Jehu; (Elisha)
J(eh)oash (g): Jehu, Jehoahaz, Jehoash; (Elisha)
Amaziah (g): Jehoash, Jeroboam; (Elisha)
Azariah/Uzziah (g): Jeroboam, Zechariah, Shallum, Menahem, Pekahiah, Pekah; (Amos, Hosea, Isaiah)
Jotham (g): Pekah; (Hosea, Isaiah, Micah)
Ahaz: Pekah, Hoshea; (Hosea, Isaiah, Micah)
Hezekiah (g): Hoshea (captivity to Assyria - 721 B.C.); (Hosea, Isaiah, Micah, Nahum)
Manasseh
Amon
Josiah (g): (Zephaniah, Jeremiah)
J(eh)oahaz: (Jeremiah)
Eliakim/Jehoiakim: (Jeremiah, Habbakuk?)
Jehoiachin: (Jeremiah)
Mattaniah/Zedekiah (captivity to Babylon – 587 B.C.): (Jeremiah)

For some of the prophets, the time frame is very clear, while for others there is some question. The ministries of the following prophets occurred in less than 300 years, which were the ending years of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. While most of the prophets ministered specifically to the Jews, some of them addressed foreign nations as well.

 
JOEL: Written to Judah probably in the early 800s, Joel calls the people to repentance during a time of plagues of insects. With this attention-getting hardship, God wants the people to return to Him. Ultimately, He will bring peace and restoration to their land when He reigns forever.
JONAH: Jonah ministered to Ninevah, the capital of Assyria. He reluctantly brought God’s message of impending judgment; the people repented, and this heathen city was spared by God (for now – see Nahum).
AMOS: Amos ministered while Uzziah was king of Judah. While he begins by prophesying judgment on many nations (heathen as well as Judah), his main message is to Israel (under Jeroboam). He tells of Israel’s rejected opportunities to turn to God, of coming judgment, and of the eventual Messianic rule.
HOSEA: Hosea ministered at the same time as Amos, but his ministry extended later. Spoken to Israel (under their final kings), Hosea’s message compares their unfaithfulness to God as harlotry. He also speaks of God’s faithful love to them in spite of their actions and of His eventual restoration.
ISAIAH: Isaiah was another contemporary of Amos and Hosea. He ministered to Judah during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. His prophecies of coming judgment are mixed with great messages of hope and redemption.
MICAH: Contemporary with Hosea and Isaiah, Micah ministered during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. He prophesied to both Judah and Israel (under Pekah and Hoshea). He preaches against their wickedness and predicts the coming judgment, while also giving significant attention to the coming Messiah and restoration.
NAHUM: Nahum is perhaps the most positive of the prophets. His prophecy about the destruction coming to Ninevah (Assyria) focuses on the power and goodness of God. Those who oppress His people will be overthrown. The book is possibly written during the reign of Hezekiah in Judah, at which time Israel may have already been carried away to Assyria.
ZEPHANIAH: Zephaniah prophesied during the reign of Josiah in Judah. He speaks of the imminent judgment on Judah and Jerusalem, which is now only about 50 years away. The book also addresses judgment on the heathen nations and God’s eventual restoration of Judah.
JEREMIAH: Jeremiah had a long ministry, beginning under King Josiah, continuing through the end of Judah, and extending into captivity. He preaches to Judah about coming judgment; during and after the great revival that occurred under Josiah, Jeremiah faced much opposition as people rejected the possibility of judgment.
HABAKKUK: Dealing with Judah, this book addresses oppression by Chaldea, probably in the final years of Judah’s kingdom. The prophet questions how God can use such a wicked nation to do His work, and God answers that He will also judge Chaldea. Because of God’s magnificence, He is to be trusted even in trying times.
OBADIAH: This is a prophecy against Edom (descendants of Esau). While the date of writing is uncertain, the message seems to have to do with the captivity of Israel and/or Judah, so may have been written in the surrounding years. Edom is warned not to gloat over Israel’s destruction, as Edom’s day of judgment is coming also.

For the most part, the poetry books don’t have historic significance, but they were largely written around 1000 B.C. during the time frame of I Kings, mostly by David and Solomon.

PSALMS: About half of the psalms are attributed to David, with another significant quantity ascribed to his contemporaries. There are psalms from as early as Moses and as late as Judah’s captivity. While commonly thought of as praise to God, the psalms also include history, prophecy, and instruction.

PROVERBS: Solomon was the primary author. He opens the book with an explanation that the proverbs are statements of wisdom intended to help the reader know how to live. Written under divine inspiration by the history’s wisest man, the proverbs are definitely good guidelines for living. The unpredictability of mankind and the providential intervention of God confine the majority of proverbs to being wise guidelines and divinely-founded principles. God, however, is never unpredictable, so any proverbs about Him are guarantees.
ECCLESIASTES: Also by Solomon, this book is written from the experience of a man who had everything he wanted. He found all other pursuits to be vain, with following God as the only thing that matters.
SONG OF SOLOMON: Written by Solomon, this story of the king and his love is an allegory for the love and intimacy between Christ and the church.