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1. THE STRUCTURE OF THE
BOOKS
OF THE OLD TESTAMENT
ACCORDING TO
THE HEBREW CANON.
I.--THE LAW (Torah).
A. GENESIS. The beginning. All produced by the Word of
God (Gen 1:3). Israel as a "family" (Gen 15:1)
B. EXODUS. History. Israel emerging from Families and
Tribes to a Nation. Called "Hebrews" according to their
"tongue."
C. LEVITICUS. Worship. Jehovah in the midst. He,
Israel's God; and they, His People.
B. NUMBERS. History. Israel, now a "Nation,"
numbered, and blessed as such (23, 24).
A. DEUTERONOMY. The end. All depending on the Word of
Jehovah. Israel regarded as in the "Land."
II.--THE PROPHETS (Nebi'im).
The Former Prophets (Zech. 7:7) - [a,b,c,d]:
A. JOSHUA. "The Lord of all the earth" giving possession of the
Land. Government under Priests.
B. JUDGES. Israel forsaking and returning to God;
losing and regaining their position in the Land. "No king."
Bethlehem. Failure under Priests.
C. SAMUEL. Man's king "rejected"; God's
king (David) "established."
D. KINGS. Decline and Fall under the kings.
The Latter Prophets [d,c,b,a]:
D. ISAIAH. Final blessing under God's King.
C. JEREMIAH. Human kings "rejected."
David's "righteous Branch" "raised up."
B. EZEKIEL. God forsaking Israel, and returning in
glory, to say for ever of His Land and city "Jehovah-Shammah."
A. MINOR PROPHETS. "The Lord of all the earth"
giving restored possession of the Land, and foretelling final and unending
possession.
III.--THE PSALMS (Kethubim, Writings).
A. PSALMS. Tehilim. "Praises." God's
purposes and counsels as to His doings in the future.
B. PROVERBS, i.e. Rules: Words which govern or rule
man's life. God's moral government set forth.
C. JOB. "The end of the Lord" shown in
Satan's defeat, and the saints deliverance from tribulation.
The Five Megilloth [d,e,f,e,d]:
D. CANTICLES. Virtue rewarded. Read by the Jews at the Passover: the
Feast which commemorates the deliverance from Pharaoh, the Jews'
oppressor.
E. RUTH. The stranger gathered in to hear of,
and share in, God's goodness in Redemption. Read at Pentecost, which
commemorates God's goodness in the Land.
F. LAMENTATIONS. "Alas!" The record
of Israel's woes. Read at the Fast of the ninth of Abib.
E. ECCLESIASTES. "The Preacher." The
People collected to hear of man's vanity. Read at the Feast of
Tabernacles, which commemorates God's goodness in the wilderness.
D. ESTHER. Virtue rewarded. Read at the Feast of
Purim, which commemorates the deliverance from Haman, "the Jews'
enemy."
C. DANIEL. "God's judgment." Here are
shown the final defeat of Antichrist, and the deliverance out of "the
Great Tribulation."
B. EZRA-NEHEMIAH. Men who governed and ruled God's
People in their resettlement in the Land.
A. CHRONICLES. Dibrae hayyamim. "Words of
the Days"; or, God's purposes and counsels as to Israel's doings in the
past, and until the time of the end.
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