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OUR SCHOOLMASTER

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The Bible contains many evidences of its authenticity and divine inspiration, including: • the abundance of Bible original manuscripts; • the specific nature of Bible dates, times and names; • the honest descriptions of the faults and failures of the Bible’s writers; • the amazing nature of Bible types and figures; and • the accuracy of the Bible’s prophecies.

No other religious writing or religion can compare with evidences such as these. Another powerful evidence of divine inspiration is the harmony between the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament law is our schoolmaster, to bring us unto Christ, to be justified - in our consciences – by faith.

[Galatians 3:24] Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

Let us examine a few lessons from this schoolmaster that are not often discussed:1. How the names in the Old Testament point toward the victory of Jesus Christ.2. How the chronology of the Old Testament points toward Christ.3. How the empires of the Old Testament point toward Christ.4. How the grammar of the Old Testament points toward Christ.

OUR SCHOOLMASTER

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OLD TESTAMENT NAMESWhen Moses Wrote

[Joshua 8:31] As Moses the servant of the LORD commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over which no man hath lift up any iron: and they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings.

• The writings of Moses, including Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy and Psalm 90, have been in existence since the time of Joshua. Joshua led Israel around 1487 BC.

• So, by the time of Jesus Christ, Moses’ writings about the first generations – Adam, Seth, Enos, Cainan, … Methuselah, Lamech, and Noah, had been around for over 14 centuries.

• Let’s look at the names of these individuals, and what they meant…

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1. OLD TESTAMENT NAMESThe First Generations

Hebrew Name Meaning of Name• Adam א�ד�ם Man• Seth ש��ת� Appointed• Enos שא נו Mortal (Sickly, Fallen Man)• Cainan ן� Sorrow (or Fixed Possession) ק�ינ• Mahalaleel מהללאל The Blessed God (or Praise of God)• Jared גארד Shall Come Down (or Descended)• Enoch � ח�נוך Teaching (or Dedicated, or Initiated)• Methuselah �ש�ל�ח מ�ת�ו His Death Shall Bring (or Man of the

Spear)• Lamech � ך �ל�מ Despairing (or Poor, Made Low)• Noah נוח� Rest (or Comfort)

Now put the meanings of the names together in order:

Man appointed mortal sorrow; the blessed God shall come down teaching; His death shall bring (the) despairing rest.

Names recorded over 1,400 years before the gospel was preached – declared the gospel message!http://www.khouse.org/articles/1996/44/

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See Genesis, chapter 5

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2. OLD TESTAMENT ChronologiesAdam

Cain Abel Others Seth

Noah

AbrahamIsaacJacob

(or Israel)

David

Jesus Christ

many lines, billions of people

many lines, millions/billions of people

many lines, millions of people

flood

one person

Zerubbabel & sons(ruler, tribe of Judah)

Jaddua(tribe of Levi)

Old Testament

New Testament

• From Adam to Israel (Jacob) dates are tracked by age of father at the birth of his first son.

• From the time of Israel (Jacob), dates are tracked by the length of stay in Egypt to the entering of the Promised Land.

• From the entering of the Promised Land, dates are tracked by the rule of judges, and the periods of oppression, until the first king.

• From the first king until captivity, dates are tracked by the ascension of each king to his throne.

• From captivity, dates are projected by the prophets Jeremiah and Daniel to the baptism of Jesus Christ.

But all dates can be determined from the Bible alone!

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2. OLD TESTAMENT Chronologiesa. Adam to Noah’s Sons

Adam

Cain Abel Seth

Others

Enos

Tubal-cain

Cainan

Lamech

Mahaleel

NoahJubal

Jared

Enoch

Methuselah

Jabal

Enoch

Irad

Mehujael

Methusael

Lamech

HamJaphethShem

Genesis 4:17-26

Genesis 4:191st polygamy mentioned

Genesis 4:81st murdermentioned

Genesis 5:1-32

Call the Point when Adam Fell Year 0

Born 130

325

235

395

460

622

687

874

1056

Flood at 1656

“Others” = “and begat sons and daughters”

See Wonders of Bible Chronology by Philip Mauro

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2. OLD TESTAMENT Chronologiesb. Noah to Peleg

Noah

Shem

Gomer Ashkenaz, Riphath, Togarmah

MagogMadaiJavan Elishah,

Tarshish, Kittim, Dodanim

TubalMeshechTiras

Cush Seba, Havilah, Sabtah,Raamah,Sabtecha(Nimrod)

Mizraim Ludim,Anamim,Lehabim,Naphtuhim,Pathrusim,Casluhim,Caphtorim

Phut ?Canaan Sidon, Heth, Jebusites, Amorites, Girgasites, Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, Arvadites, Zemarites, Hamathites

Japheth Ham

Elam,Asshur,Lud,Aram Uz, Hul,

Gether, MashArphaxad Salah & Others

Eber & Others

Joktan & Others Peleg

Genesis 10:1-3211:10-32 1056

1558

1658

16931723

1757

“…the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided…” (Gen 10:25)

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2. OLD TESTAMENT Chronologiesc. Peleg to Israel

Peleg

Reu & Others

Abram, or Abraham

Nahor,See Gen 22:20-24 offspring (Rebecca)

Genesis Chapters11-36 1757

1819

1658 1693

2008

1787

Serug & Others

Nahor & Others1849

Terah & Others1878

Haran

1998

Abraham

Ishmael Isaac

Zimran Jokshan Sheba,

Dedan

Asshurim

Letushim

LeummimMedanMidian

EphahEpher

HanochAbidaEldaah

IshbakShuah

NebajothKedarAdbeelMibsamMishmaDumahMassaHadarTemaJeturNaphishKedemah

Esau(Gen 36:1-43)

Jacob, or Israel

2108

2168

2168

Abraham enters Canaan 75 years old, or at 2008 + 75 = 2083, beginning the “Sojourn”.

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2. OLD TESTAMENT Chronologiesd. Israel goes to Egypt, and comes

home to Promised Land

Genesis 30 thruJoshua 3

Jacob, or Israel2168-2315

Reuben Hanoch, Phallu, Hezron, Carmi Simeon Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, Shaul Levi Gershon, Kohath, Merari Judah Er, Onan, Shelah, Pharez, Zerah Dan Hushim Naphtali Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, Shillem Gad Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, Areli Asher Jimnah, Ishuah, Isui, Beriah Issachar Tola, Phuvah, Job, Shimron Zebulun Sered, Elon, Jahleel Joseph Manasseh, Ephraim Benjamin Belah, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi,

Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, Ard

With Israel and Joseph, the count of years stops going by ages of descendants for a while, and tracks events.

The Bible tells us Joseph was thirty when he stood before Pharoah, and that 7 years of plenty and 2 years of famine elapsed before Israel moved down to Egpyt at the age of 130. Israel died at 147, so Joseph would have been 17+39 = 56 when his dad died. Joseph died at 110, so that was in year (110-56) + 2315 = 2369.

Israel leaves Egypt after a 430 year “Sojourn”, so at year 2083 + 430 = 2513.

Enters Promised Land 40 years later, at 2553.

But Genesis 38 tells a special story about one son, Judah, and his twins Zarah and Pharez.

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2. OLD TESTAMENT Chronologiese. From entering Promised Land until David’s Sons

Joshua 3 -II Samuel 5

• Pharez Hezron Ram Amminadab Nahshon Salmon Boaz Obed Jesse David (see Ruth 4:18-22)

• Israel enters Promised Land, year 2553.• Joshua conquers Promised Land and tribes inherit portions 2559

(calculated by the ages of Caleb – from Judah - in Numbers 13 and Joshua 14).• Add years given for all periods of oppression, judges, and rests given in

Judges and I Samuel to come to year 3023, when Saul began to reign. This adds up to 450 years (as also preached by Paul in Acts 13:18-20).

• Saul reigned 40 years (Acts 13:21) up to year 3063.• David reigned 40 years, (II Samuel 5:4-5) up to year 3103.

AmnonChileabAbsalomAdonijahShephatiahIthream

ShammuaShobabNathanSolomonIbharElishua

NephegJaphiaElishamaEliadaEliphalet.

SONS OF DAVID The house of Nathan is mentioned in Zechariah 12:12. We later find Joseph descended from David through Solomon in Matthew 1:6-16, and Mary descended from David through Nathan in Luke 3:23-31. Solomon reigned 40 years until 3143.

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2. OLD TESTAMENT Chronologiesf. Solomon to the Captivity

Solomon

Rehoboam(Israel divided)

Uzziah

Jehoshaphat

Asa

Amaziah

Ahaz

Jotham

Joash

Jehoram

Abijah(rules Judah)

Ahaziah(Athaliah’s coup)

Josiah

Amon

Manasseh

Hezekiah(Assyrians take north)

Jehoiachin

Zedekiah(templedestroyed)

Jehoiakim(Babyloncaptivity)

Jehoahaz

3103king

3143

3160

3162

3203

3239

3232

3229

3279

3319

3371

3386

3401

3429

3484

3486

3517

3517

3528

3528

3520

[Jeremiah 25:1] The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that was the first year of Nebuchad-rezzar king of Babylon;

Year 3521 is 525 BC, linking Bible history to secular history. Thus, Adam fell in 3521+525 = 4046 BC.

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2. OLD TESTAMENT Chronologiesg. Captivity to Christ

Captivity of Israel starts

Captivity ends after 70 years (see Jer

25:11-12, Daniel 9:2): decree of

Cyrus; start of 2nd temple

Daniel 9:24-27gives 69*7 = 483 years till

Messiah

3520

3589

3590

4071

Luke 3: [1] Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,…[21] Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, [22] And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

Jehoiachin

Salathiel (Sheatiel)/Pedaiah

Zerubbabel, who builds 2nd temple

God links Bible history to secular history again. The year 4071 would be 4071 – 4046 + 1 = 26 AD, which was indeed the 15th year of Tiberius, if one includes the 4 years he co-reigned with Caesar Augustus.

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2. OLD TESTAMENT Chronologiesh. So what do these chronologies show us?• Very few, if any, reliable written sources of chronological systems exist for human history

earlier than 331 BC (Alexander the Great’s time) – except for the Bible, which provides unbroken date linkages prior to 4000 BC!

• It might have been natural for Moses to write the lineages and chronologies of Israel, since that was Moses’ ancestor and nation. But why would he give special attention to the sons of Judah, Pharez and Zarah, since Moses lived well before David was king? Unless, of course, Moses was inspired by God, who knew David would be king centuries before.

• It might have been natural for Bible writers such as Ezra to write the lineages and chronologies of the house of David up to Zerubbabel, since he was the governor who rebuilt the temple. But why would Zechariah 12 speak of the family of Nathan, a son of David who was not king? Unless of course, these writers were inspired by God, who knew that Nathan would be in the Luke 3 lineage of Jesus Christ centuries before.

• Thus, the dates of the Old Testament Bible chronology track the ancestors of Jesus Christ!• The prophecies of Jeremiah give the length of the 70 year Babylonian captivity, and boldly

link Bible chronology to secular history in Jeremiah 25:1. Then Daniel gives the number of years to Christ, which lands on the year of the baptism of Jesus Christ, linked to

secular history again by the reign of Tiberius Caesar in Luke 3. • The Bible shows itself, unlike myths or other religious writings, solidly set in history with dates, names, and places – and they point to Jesus Christ.

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3. OLD TESTAMENT Empires - IntroductionEmpire #1. The Head of Gold = The Babylonian (or Chaldean) Empire(see Daniel 2:32,38)

Empire #2. The Breast and Arms of Silver = The Medo-Persian Empire(see Daniel 2:32,39 and 8:20)

Empire #3. The Belly and Thighs of Brass = The Greek (Hellenistic) Empire(see Daniel 2:32, 39 and 8:21)

Empire #4 a. The Legs of Iron = The Roman Empire(see Daniel 2:33, 40)

4 b. The Feet of Iron Mingled With Clay (see Daniel 2:33,41-43)

The ROCK that Destroys the Image and Grows Forever (Daniel 2:44)

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3. OLD TESTAMENT Empires – The Challenge

• Daniel lived and wrote around 500 BC. I believe he wrote this prophecy himself, and he thus gives a remarkable demonstration of God declaring the end from the beginning, since he wrote of events covering the next 900 years, to the destruction of the Roman Empire in 476 AD.

• Skeptics, not being able to admit divine inspiration, claim that this prophecy was written by someone else later, near the end of the Hellenistic Empire (brass), who could tell that Rome was rising in power already.

• The Lord Jesus Christ lived and preached during the early Roman Empire, and cited Daniel as accepted scripture. [Matthew 24:15-18] “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.”

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3. OLD TESTAMENT Empires – The Surprise

• Suppose – for the sake of argument – we temporarily assume the skeptics’ notion that Daniel was written in the late Hellenistic period.

• The Lord Jesus Christ preached (about 26 to 30 AD) in the early Roman Empire (27 BC - 285 AD) and cited Daniel as scripture.

• The Roman Empire did not become “divided” as described in Daniel 2:41 until 285 AD, when the emperor Diocletian formed the Eastern and Western Roman Empires.

• The Roman Empire fell in 476 AD.• Thus, when Jesus Christ cited the book of Daniel, its

prophecies were still being fulfilled! • The skeptics are wrong.• Daniel is a divinely inspired book.

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4. OLD TESTAMENT Grammar - Verbs• Jacob died in 1731 BC. Moses was born in 1613 BC, and talked to God at the burning bush

about 1533 BC. (Dates derived from scriptures alone – no additional archaeology needed).• [Exodus 3:4-6] “And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him

out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.”

• [Isaiah 38:18-19] “For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth. The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth.”

• [Mark 12:26-27] “And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err. [Matthew 22:33] And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine.”

• [Romans 14:9] “For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.”

• Jesus is LORD of all, and His death meant there would be humans living after judgment. God is GOD only of the living, who worship Him. Over a century after their burials, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were alive and worshiping God, for God said, “I am the God” and not “I was the God”. Jesus Christ rested His argument on the tense of the verb “am”.

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4. OLD TESTAMENT Grammar - Nouns

• [Genesis 17:5-7] “Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.”

• [Galatians 3:16] “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.”

• Paul, writing Galatians, considered the Old Testament to be inspired to the singularity or plurality of the noun “seed” – and so considered the Old Testament to be divinely accurate, and pointing to Jesus Christ.

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4. OLD TESTAMENT vs. NEW TESTAMENT?

Does the God of the Old Testament (OT) seem to you to be different from the God of the New Testament (NT)?• What does Jesus say about the OT commandments? Do His NT teaching

contradict God’s OT teachings?• Is He truly different, or has He revealed additional aspects of Himself in the NT?

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What does Jesus say about the Old Testament commandments?[Matthew 5:17-22] “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.”[5:27] “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:”[5:31] “It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:”[5:33] “Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:”[5:38] “Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:”[5:43] “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.”

In the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord Jesus did not teach against, “it has been written” – as if He opposed the law. He said, “ye have heard that it hath been said” – and thus taught against erroneous man-made interpretations of the law which were popular in His day.

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What does Jesus say about the Old Testament commandments?

[John 5:46-47] “For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?”

In this statement the Lord Jesus Christ endorsed everything that Moses had written. In fact, He indicates that we need to believe Moses’ writings in order to believe His words!a) That means Jesus Christ supports everything Moses wrote about creation.b) That means Jesus Christ supports everything Moses wrote about history.c) That means Jesus Christ supports everything Moses wrote about morality.d) It also means that, if we do not consider true everything Moses wrote about

creation, history, and morality, we will have trouble really being His disciples.

• Wait a minute! Wait a minute! Do I need to consider Moses’ laws, such as dietary commandments, binding on me? No, not if you are a Gentile. Many of the commandments given to Moses were for ancient Israel in particular, such as dietary laws, holiday laws, sacrificial laws, and ethnic separation laws.

• Then which laws are to guide the Gentiles? The laws God applied to other nations as well as Israel in the Old Testament, and that are taught again in the New Testament (see Leviticus 18:24-25, and Romans 1:26-27 for an example).

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Is God truly different in the New Testament, or just more revealed?[Psalm 145:8] “The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.”[John 2:13-16] “And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise.”

[Leviticus 19:33-34] “And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him. But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.”[Mark 12: 29-31] “And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”

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OUR SCHOOLMASTER - ConclusionSome of the things we have examined:• The names in Old Testament (OT) point to Jesus Christ.• The dates in the OT point to Jesus Christ.• The world history in the OT points to Jesus Christ.• The grammatical constructs in the OT point to Jesus Christ.• The teachings of the OT are consistent with the teachings of Jesus Christ.

• The personality of God in the OT is consistent with the personality of Jesus Christ.

• Finally, the commandments in the OT reveal me to be a sinner in need of a Savior - and that schoolmaster’s lesson makes the fact of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ good news to me.

Ten Reasons that I Need The Savior.