From Beginning to Forever: A Study of the Grand Narrative of ScriptureSample

From the creation to Israel returning from exile, you have walked through almost half of the Bible! Great job!

Today, we will take a break from the storyline. The books of Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs are all considered wisdom literature. Historically, these books describe events that for the most part took place at the same time as the events we discussed yesterday. So, Israel’s monarchy, the fall of Jerusalem, exile, and the Israelites’ return from exile are the inspiration for the words we will read.

Read Proverbs 1:1-7.

The way of wisdom shows us that God’s people flourish when they are in a relationship with the King. This relationship is one of goodness and beauty that will be enjoyed forever.

The next set of books we’ll cover continues the theme of life in the kingdom but focuses on the messengers God sent to Israel to remind them of their covenant with Him. These messengers are called prophets.

Read Amos 2:4-5,11.

As a community, Israel was interconnected, which means that one person’s sin would impact the entire nation.1 So, to reinforce this communal identity and to provide a strong deterrent to sin, God would judge all of Israel many times, not only the individual person who was guilty of sin. God showed His patience through the message of the prophets, giving the Israelites a long time to repent and return to living as His people in obedience to the covenant. But He was also faithful, upholding the promises of judgment He made to Israel, even as far back as Moses. He promised He would send Israel into exile if the people failed to obey the covenant, and He did.

Next, read Jeremiah 29:4-14.

God’s promise of deliverance for Israel was connected to the covenants He made with Abraham, Moses, and David. He was promising to bring them back to the land of Canaan, back under His rule and blessing. But even when the people of Israel came out of exile, they still struggled with the same problem they had before exile—sin. After Israel returned to their homeland, they struggled to stay faithful to the covenant. The people of Israel needed a solution that would enable them to be faithful forever.

Read Jeremiah 32:37-41 and Ezekiel 11:19-20.

God knew His people needed help, a permanent solution to the problem that had been plaguing them since the garden of Eden. Through both the prophet Jeremiah and the prophet Ezekiel, God made one more covenant with Israel. He promised to cleanse the people, curing them of their disease of sin.

Israel and all of the nations would live in restored relationship with God in His kingdom (Isa. 56:4-8).

1. A great example of this is the story of Achan in Joshua 6–7.