During the dark days of the Judges, defined by cycles of faithlessness, idolatry, and oppression, the faiths of Ruth, Boaz, Hannah, and Samuel shine bright. Their stories also point forward to the coming Redeemer.
Judges 2–4; 6–8; 13–16: Man’s Weakness & God’s Strength
The book of Judges contains a series of cycles. First, Israel rebels, then the Lord sends repression. Israel repents, and the Lord rescues. After a season of rest, the Israelites rebel once again, and the cycle repeats.
Joshua 1–8; 23–24: Be Strong & Courageous
Through conquest, condemnation, rescue, redemption, and restoration, God draws his people closer to his heart of grace and demonstrates himself to be the only thing in the universe that can truly save them and grant them the blessings of an ultimate promised land.
Deuteronomy 6–8, 15, 18, 29-30, 34: Return to the Lord
Moses is preparing the Israelites for their transition from being children of the wilderness to children of the promised land. Repeated throughout the book of Deuteronomy are words like “listen, remember, guard, keep, do, and obey.”
Numbers 11-14, 20-24: Forgiveness Over and Over Again
God had delivered them from slavery, brought them through the waters of the Red Sea, miraculously fed them and gave them water, set up a system of worship and law, disciplined them, and forgave their rebellion and doubt many times over.
Exodus 35-40, Leviticus 1, 16, 19: Holiness
Throughout this study, we will see that humanity cannot become holy through its work and movement toward God; instead, it is God who works and moves toward humans.
Exodus 24, 31-34: God is Holy & Perfect
Exodus shows us that God is by nature apart and other than we are when it comes to holiness and perfection. In these closing chapters, the Israelites learned much about the God who had chosen to dwell among them and what life without his presence is like.
Exodus 18-20: The Giving of the Law
God’s law, summarized in the Ten Commandments, reflects God’s perfect expectations for us. Every single law we break proves our unworthiness and earns us eternal punishment. The absolute nature of the law means that even one sin is enough to damn us.
