HISTORICAL BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT 

Introduction 

From the Historical Books we learn that the Bible is not just “given via abstract philosophical treatises; it is through…historical events that we learn much about God and his purposes for humans.” Historical events help to teach a mystery that happened in a human setting, for instance we see the same in the account of the Resurrection (1 Corinthians 15.)  God has true encounters with persons at all times, and one can tame life and build fortresses against failures by reading the account of God-human encounters. It is recommendable that all Christians and anyone seeking God, should have a basic knowledge of God’s dealing with His people. There is nothing new under heavens. Our trials and choices have causes that have always been. 

Ordinarily, history provides systems of advantage that spare us from the painful experiences of others. It is like selling a costly product for free or at a giveaway price. Persons who have failed or succeeded wrote their pain or success in words that help us to navigate life’s circumstances by making wiser decisions. A saying has it that anyone that ignores history is prone to repeat the mistakes of the predecessors. As such, both the promises and teachings in the Scriptures are roadmaps 

In the pages of the historical books of the Bible, we learn of God’s faithfulness, love, mercy, readiness to help, and discipline. We also learn the great potentiality that awaits all humanity through Historical Books. If they should choose right conduct and believe in God, the blessings are insurmountable. We see how our predecessors felt the intimacy of God or seeing absence of God. God is always with us but from Historical Books we learn why He seems to be far at sometimes. Not that He moved but the people, through their choices, moved. This line I saw in a Chruch’s billboard always inspire me “When you feel that God is far, who moved?”

Historical Books.  

The historical books tell the story of God’s dealings with His people over many centuries. They begin with Israel’s first entry into the land of Canaan as a nation (Joshua), continue through the chaotic period of apostasy in the time of the judges (Judges; Ruth), the establishment of the Davidic monarchy (1–2 Samuel; 1 Chronicles), and the subsequent history of Israel’s life under its kings, including the destruction of Jerusalem and exile to Babylon (1–2 Kings; 2 Chronicles), and they conclude with some Jews who returned from exile (Ezra–Nehemiah) and other Jews who lived in Persia under hostile conditions (Esther). They cover close to a thousand years of history, from the time of Joshua (ca. 1400 BC)3 until the time of Ezra and Nehemiah (458–433 BC).

Historical Books: Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra ( I Esdras, Nehemiah (2 Esdras), Tobit , Judith, Esther, 1 Maccabees and 2 Maccabees

Theological History

The events that are chronicled in these books go beyond recounting history, rather they point out the presence and providence of God in the daily life experience of the people of Israel. This is a prompter to consciousness of Divine Providence in the life of everyone. It is not just a history for its own sake but a history that reveals God’s dealing with His covenantal family. Beyond providing accurate history, the Historical Books also are theological treatises, “they present history from a God’s-eye perspective. The historical books tell about God’s repeated in-breakings into human history, whether by dramatic accounts of miracles, by God’s speaking directly to people, or by his indirect presence, visible in the providential outworking of events; Even though the primary purpose of the historical books was theological (and not “history for history’s sake”), they nevertheless were rooted in actual historical events.” The Books inspire faith and confidence in God Who in our predecessors, demonstrated His presence in the journey of life. Brief Summary: 

• In Joshua, the triumphal accounts of Israel’s entering and settling into the land of Canaan in chapters 1–12 and 22–24 are interrupted by long lists of tribal-land distributions in chapters 13–21, all in service of showing God’s promises fulfilled.

• In Judges, we find a cyclical history spiraling downward through the regimes of successive judges. A sense of godless apostacy prevails.

• Ruth is a self-contained and beautifully told story of God’s grace in the life of one family of David’s ancestors.

• 1–2 Samuel tell of the establishment of the legitimate Davidic monarchy via a richly textured account of the events; much in these books has the feel of an eyewitness account, as a period of perhaps 100 years is covered in depth (in 55 chapters).

• 1–2 Kings, by contrast, tell the story of more than 400 years of Israel’s kings after David in a much more stereotypical manner (and in only 47 chapters), structured around repeated formulas of the accession, main exploits, and deaths of the successive kings. No characters are as fully developed in 1–2 Kings, nor stories told in such detail, as we find in 1–2 Samuel. The relentless downward slide, interrupted by the reigns of a few good kings and the words of warning by prophets raised up by God, leads eventually to the brutal exile of God’s people to a foreign land, Babylon.

• 1–2 Chronicles cover much of the same ground as 2 Samuel and 1–2 Kings, but the audience for these books is post-exilic, and they have different purposes in telling Israel’s story; in addition, they add much material not found in Samuel and Kings.

• Ezra–Nehemiah contains first-person and eyewitness accounts, lists, and correspondence about the return from Babylonian exile and post-exilic life. \

• Esther, like Ruth, is a self-contained and well-told story, this one about life for the Jews in Persian exile, where God is mostly unseen, yet clearly “felt” behind the scenes. 

• Judith, a beautiful and devout Jewish widow, goes into the enemy camp of Holofernes, commander-in-chief for Nebuchadnezzar. Judith wins the favor of the commander through pretending to give him valuable information. After a banquet, where Holofernes becomes drunk and passes out, Judith cuts his head off and returns home. His soldiers become distraught and they are defeated. Judith becomes a hero and is greatly revered. Many want her hand in marriage however, she remains faithful to God.

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• Tobit, a pious Jew is healed by God, but not before a series of trials and tribulations. Tobit of Nineveh was God fearing. He goes blind and becomes increasingly depressed. He sends his son Tobias on a journey to reclaim money that was deposited in Media. God sends Archangel Raphael (Azariah) as a human to assist Tobias on his journey. In Media, Tobias meets and marries Sarah. She was plagued by a demon. Sarah could never consummate her marriage as each man died. Azariah binds the demon. Azariah tells Tobias how to heal his father’s eyesight. The three return to Nineveh. Tobit’s eyesight is restored. Aziariah reveals who he is and asks them to sing praise to God for all their blessings.

The First Book of the Maccabees- Meditation

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• The Greek ruler, Antiochus IV of Epiphanes attempts to suppress Jewish law resulting in the Maccabean Revolt. The Mattathias’s, a Jewish family, calls upon people loyal to the traditions of Israel to oppose the invaders. Their third son who spearheaded the revolt was called the hammer which in Hebrew is “Maccabee” While in battle the Jewish defenders refused to fight on the Sabbath. The temple is freed and re-consecrated to God.

• The Second Book of Maccabees- Meditation

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• The seven brothers who are popularly called the Maccabees undergo terrible sufferings for their faith. They show courage and fortitude as they assert their belief in resurrection and the conception of divine requital and punishment to the Laws

FIVE KEYPOINTS IN HISTORICAL BOOKS

In God-human relationship, He uses persons and places, however, the major underlining message revolves around some points such as: God’s sovereignty, presence, promises, kingdom, and covenant.

• God’s Sovereignty: God is consistently presented in the historical books as sovereign over all creation, including the elements of nature and the affairs of individuals and of nations. God’s sovereignty is sometimes demonstrated through spectacular miracles (see the book of Joshua or the Elijah-Elisha narratives). But, beyond this, Israel was to submit to God’s authority, care, and protection. Even the nations were subject to God, from the small city-states and peoples in the time of Joshua, the judges, and the first kings (e.g., Philistines, Moabites, Canaanites) to the great empires of Assyria, Babylonia, and Persia, which formed the backdrop to the events of 1–2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, Ezra–Nehemiah, and Esther.

• God’s Presence: In most of the historical books, God’s presence is close at hand. He designated Joshua as Moses’ successor, raised up the judges in response to Israel’s dire straits over several centuries, and designated Saul and then David as his chosen king. He was a source of help to the godly kings who sought him and to bold prophets who spoke in his name (Nathan, Gad, Elijah, Micaiah, Elisha, Huldah, and others). He empowered Jeshua, Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah to be bold leaders after the trauma of the exile. Prayers of godly kings such as David (2Sam 7), Solomon (1Kgs 8), Jehoshaphat (2Chron 20), and others show the closeness of their relationship with God. And yet, at times, God seemed more hidden. Most often, this was because of Israel’s sin. In Judges and Samuel, this was clearly the case (Judg 2; 1Sam 4:19–22), as it was repeatedly in 1–2 Kings and 1–2 Chronicles. Sometimes, however, God’s hiddenness is not attributed to sin; it is simply a fact, and his presence must be inferred indirectly. In Esther, for example, God is not mentioned at all. This signals that sometimes he chooses not to reveal himself as directly as at other times.

• God’s Promises: The historical books carry forward the stories and themes of the Pentateuch. One consistent theme is God’s promise to be with his people, going back to Abraham (Gen 17:8), and continuing with Moses (Exod 3:12), Joshua (Josh 1:5, 9), David (2Sam 7), Ezra (Ezra 7:6), Nehemiah (Neh 2:8), and many others. The important promises to Abraham—sometimes called the “Abrahamic Covenant”—included the land of Canaan (Gen 12:7; 17:18–21), many descendants (Gen 12:2; 15:5), and blessings on Abraham and, through him, on the nations (Gen 12:1–3), and they are especially fulfilled in the book of Joshua (see esp. Josh 21:43–45).

• God’s Covenant: Life under the Abrahamic Covenant involved obedience to God in all realms of life. God said that Abraham had “obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws” (Gen 26:5). In other words, Abraham—who lived centuries before the Mosaic Law was given at Mount Sinai—had lived his life in relationship with God in full accord with what later would be understood as keeping the Law. The collections of Mosaic laws, and the attendant promises and obligations, have come to be known as the “Mosaic Covenant,” which spells out how to live life under the Abrahamic Covenant. The book of Deuteronomy laid out most fully the rewards and punishments that would follow obedience or disobedience (Deut 27–28), and this perspective governed most of the writing of the historical books: when people followed the LORD, they were blessed, and when they did not, they suffered. 

• God’s Kingdom: The Bible teaches that God is king over the earth (e.g., Exod 15:18; Ps 93:1); the exercise of his rule can be seen in his sovereignty over all nature, people, and nations, as we have noted. But, God also chose to exercise his rule through human kings. As far back as Abraham’s day, God had promised that kings would come from his line (Gen 17:6, 16; 35:11; 49:10). He carefully prescribed that these kings should not be like the kings of neighboring nations, where warfare and foreign alliances were the primary features. By contrast, Israel’s kings were to be rooted in a study of God’s Word and to let God fight Israel’s battles (Deut 17:14–20; Judg 8:22–23; 1Sam 8:5, 20). The king was God’s representative on earth, and God’s kingdom was entrusted to him. We can see this clearly in texts such as 2 Chronicles 13:8, which refers to “the kingdom of the Lord in the hands of the sons of David,” or 1 Chronicles 29:5, where Solomon was chosen “to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD.”

God was a “father” to the Davidic kings, and they were “sons” of God in perpetuity (2Sam 7:11–16); these promises are known as the “Davidic Covenant.” While most of Israel’s and Judah’s kings did not live up to the ideals set out in Deuteronomy 17 and 2 Samuel 7, nevertheless, the model was one where the king exercised his rule in connection with God’s will and in dependence upon God. Eventually, the ultimate “Son” of God was born from the lineage of David: Jesus, the Christ. 

Timeline for the Old Testament Historical Books

More Lessons 

We also see the fact that if only few acted in a way that brought blessings how much peace and blessings the universe will have if all choose the right decision, for instance al becoming Christians Every Christian should have, at the very least, a perfunctory understanding of Israel’s history, for these are our roots, too (see Romans 11:11–24). 

Unlimited Blessings and Promises for Everyone 

Our relationship with God is that of many great promises meant for our inheritance. Everyone as opportunity to inherit the Promises “This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away—all who have been called by the Lord our God” (Acts 2:39.) At the same time, we need commitment to God’s Word and Covenant. Below is a prayer of consecration that helps to bring persons into the promises in the Word of God.

CONSECRATION TO THE WORD OF GOD

“O Lord GOD, You are God! Your Words are true” (2 Sam.7:28). I believe and affirm that Your Word, revealed in the Sacred Scriptures, contains all Truth. Your Word gives life, always abiding, ageless, the amiable flame of Divine Love. I repent for all disobedience to Your Word; forgive me, my family, all humanity, our predecessors, and entire creation in the measures we have departed from Your Word. I humble myself before You, beseeching that Your Word cleanses and washes me from my sins. Heal me, my family, humanity, and entire creation of all the infirmities that rejecting and loving Your Word has incurred, “and You sent forth Your Word and they were healed.” With all my heart, I turn to Your Word, the TRUTH, break all the yokes, bondages, curses, and deprivations my waywardness and that of others have imposed upon me, for You have promised, “the Truth will set you free.” Most Merciful Father, by the merits of the Sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus Christ, the Word made Flesh, make me holy, save me from condemnation; grant His prayers to You on my behalf, “Sanctify (him/her) them in the truth; Your word is truth” (Jn.17). 

Abba Father, I hereby consecrate (reconsecrate) myself to Your Word, the Eternal Truth; thank You for sanctifying me by Your Word. I pledge allegiance to Your Word. I, most underserving among all, claim all the blessings and promises of your Word; help me to keep my part of the covenant of Your Word as You always keep Yours. Holy Spirit, therefore, I pray, instill the Word of God, the Divine light in me; deign that it illumines my heart, conscience, thoughts, will, emotion, and actions.  Grant me grace to understand the Word of God, to practice the Word of God and to teach the Word of God to others, in Jesus Name. Amen

Sources

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/essay/historical-books/

What are the historical books of the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_book

Christ the King Millennium Prayer Book