The Former Prophets

Reading the ‘former prophets’ (Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings) in the Old Testament is something that, sadly, few Christians look forward to doing. Oftentimes these books are regarded as dry, boring history with the occasional story that is fit for felt-board lessons in Sunday School, but that does not have much for ‘the rest of us.’

Mercifully, the former prophets did record so much history for us. This history, however, is not dry and boring but is rich, living, and vibrant because it is the truth of God.

Here are some meditations from one of our Old Testament History classes that may be helpful to you as your read the former prophets.

First, it is helpful to remember that these are historical books. The records within these books deal with facts from eyewitness accounts. These authors wrote under the inspiration of the Spirit of God, ensuring that what was recorded was accurate. On top of that, these accounts conform to other historical data and archaeological findings. But the point is, these things really happened to real men and women. Sometimes we lose sight of the historicity of these texts, which often causes us to stand aloof and read them impersonally. No! When we read of victory or of defeat we should understand that real people experienced these things in their lives, both the joy and the agony, the glory and the shame. More importantly than prospering or failing on the earthly level, these men and women really met with God, really had experiences of His grace and favor (or wrath), and really were delivered by Him. They knew God in time and history, just as we do as Christians, so we should treasure these accounts of how God acted and who He is.

Second, while these accounts are historical at every level, they are not mere history. What I mean is that these are historical accounts that also include the prophet’s perspective. When God inspired these people to write His Word, He had them record history along with His own interpretation of it. We know definitively what God thought of David’s adultery and murder because the prophet Nathan was there on behalf of God to rebuke David. We know how God treated Saul’s disobedience because Samuel was there on behalf of God to remove him from the kingship. Through these accounts we see men of God speaking the Word of God to the people of God, so we have the prophetic interpretation of what happened and why. Because of these ins and outs of Scripture, we can know the character of God and learn to live in a way that pleases Him. The knowledge of God’s character contained in these accounts is priceless—so when we read, if we are bored, we are bored with the priceless treasure of knowing God. May He lead us to repentance if that is the case with us.

Finally, these are selective accounts of history. By that I do not mean that authors left out unflattering details or hid the truth so as to present a slanted account. We see all the gory details of sin, all the disgusting effects of pride and evil, and the worst parts of people’s lives. God did not spare the people whom He wrote about, but rather revealed their sinfulness to show His glorious grace and His perfect justice. What I mean by "selective" is that we have faithful accounts that highlight only what God wanted to highlight. God does not give us all the details of all the battles, all the humans, or all the places. Rather, God gives us the perfect combination of accurate facts and details to communicate who He is. God’s desire is to reveal Himself to His people for their encouragement (Rom. 15:4), for their training (2 Tim. 3:16), and to give them the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Christ (2 Tim. 3:15). God gave what was necessary and what was best, and did not record many of the the less useful circumstances of history.

God gave us the Scriptures to bless us and to help us, not to burden us. Remember this as you read all of His word.

--Dean of Admissions