God's Faithfulness In History

The Old Testament historical books reveal God’s faithfulness, mercy, grace, and justice. The historical books of Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther describe the living Sovereign LORD God’s active work in the world to bring salvation to all nations as the only true God of heaven and earth. These books follow the Torah (Genesis through Deuteronomy), and they explain Israel’s history from its entrance into the Promised Land of Israel-Palestine under the leadership of Joshua, the period of the judges, the various rulers of Israel and her sister Judah, the Great Exile, and the restoration of the Israel province. Humble foreigners such as Rahab of Canaan (Joshua 2), Ruth of Moab (Ruth 1), and a woman of Sidon (1 Kings 17) played important roles in God's salvation story to bless all nations as promised to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3. The book of Joshua describes Israel’s military conquest and victories in the Promised Land by God’s grace under the leadership of Joshua, and Israel renewed their covenant of love, faithfulness, and obedience to the Sovereign LORD God. Joshua’s name in Greek is Jesus, meaning “The LORD saves.” However, Israel’s covenant commitment to God faded in the book of Judges, which led to Israel’s defeat and civil war until Israel called out to God in repentance, and God brought His spirit-filled judges to deliver Israel. The love story of Ruth and Boaz in the book of Ruth revealed God's covenant love and salvation for all people-Jews such as Boaz and non-Jews like Ruth (a Moabite). The books of 1 and 2 Samuel opens with Hannah’s faithfulness, Samuel’s call, and later Israel’s demand for a king. The Sovereign LORD God anointed Saul as Israel’s first king, but Saul failed to obey Him, so He rejected Saul and anointed David and then David’s son Solomon as the King of Israel in the capital city of Jerusalem (Zion). With David’s kingship, God promised King David an everlasting dynasty that would be fulfilled in Christ Jesus our Savior. Israel expanded their borders under David and Solomon’s leadership along with the building of the Jerusalem Temple. However, David and Solomon could not control their desires for many women, and their sins affected their children and Israel, leading to a split kingdom with ten tribes of Israel in the north and two tribes in the south-Judah. The books of 1 and 2 Kings revealed the people’s departure from worshipping the living Sovereign LORD God and many evil deeds. Because of their idolatry and evil deeds, God allowed Israel and her sister Judah to be conquered and defeated by foreign nations, the Assyrians and Babylonians, and these foreign nations deported Israel and Judah from the Promised Land and scattered them around the world. God’s faithfulness to Israel continued by protecting them from extinction in the book of Esther. Also, the living Sovereign LORD God used the Persians to allow Israel to return to their Promised Land and rebuild the Temple (Second Temple) and the Jerusalem wall in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. The books of 1 and 2 Chronicles retell many of the same stories of God’s faithfulness from 1 and 2 Kings. 

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