THE HISTORICAL BOOKS

JOSHUA: What a book! And what a man! Here’s the divine record: "There was no day like that be- fore it or after it, when the Lord listened to the voice of a man; fo r the Lord fought for Israel” (10:14). Yes, by simple trust and obedience, Israel could live in victory. We today don’t have a promised O Book of wondrous land, but we do have a promised life. A careful look at this book will both instruct and inspire you depths and heights, to “possess your possession.” Let’s go! and glories ever new, JUDGES: Just as Joshua gives us strategies for which in ten thousand united victory, so Judges gives us the secrets to individual victory in days of moral collapse. When various lights everything seems to be going under, we can still brings into view. be overcomers. — Wm Blane — RUTH: In this sweet little , we dis- cover that, where sin abounds, grace super- abounds. The Moabite was not to be received, as anointed by God, a champion of the common found here and respond positively to God’s gra- EZRA, NEHEMIAH & ESTHER: We often hear God told His people, “because they did not meet people but treated as a criminal by the authori - cious appeals, His warnings, and, when neces- the excuse, “What can one person do?” But these you with bread and water on the road when you ties, and lost to the Gentiles before finally being sary, His discipline. books recount the stories of heroic individuals came out of Egypt" (Deut 23:4). Then check out accepted by his own people. And to top it off, his whom God used to change the course of history. own songs describe the links between the two! 1 CHRONICLES: Since 1 Chronicles covers much Jeremiah wrote a book no one liked — except the first thing Boaz did for Ruth, and you catch a of the same material as the (as glimpse of God's amazing grace. Daniel 70 years later! He prayed, and God moved 1 KINGS: From the heights of Solomon's glory in 2 Chronicles covers largely the same period as the the heart of pagan Cyrus to restore Israel to their 1 SAMUEL: Talk about drama! This book is full of one united kingdom to its tragic division and sin, books of the Kings), what is its purpose? The land. Then God used Jeshua to call the people to it: dramatic irony, character development, love there are many lessons for us to learn here about books of Samuel and Kings are real-time record- rebuild the temple, and they did — but not and hate relationships — you name it. But on surrendering the throne of our hearts to the King ing of history. But the Chronicles look back, and without encouragement from Haggai to keep at every riveting page, you sta rt to see so me very afte r Go d's ow n heart. Encouraging! give Go d’s e dited versio n of the se times. As with it. When it was done, however, no one knew how our lives from the divine perspective, the sins of long shad ows cast. You ge t the sense tha t behin d to use it. Enter Ezra, an expert on the subject. But the stories told are the Untold Story of two kings 2 KINGS: Here is Part Two of the Book of Kings the saints are removed! History, as it always does, Jerusalem's walls were still broken and its gates vying over one k ingdom, an d the crisis of loyalty (ca lled 2 Kings). Sadly, the story gets darker and highli ght s God’s gra ce o verrid ing our failures. But burned, so Nehemiah came to spur on the recon- that everyone eventually must face . dar ker un til the chastening hand of God a llows more, Go d’s gra ce also sho wcases th e w orship of struction. So it goes. Even back in Babylon, God b oth the nor thern and southern kingdom s to be H is g ratefu l people. used Mordecai to inspire Esther, and she saved 2 SAMUEL: In 2 Samuel, the scene changes. Saul carried away into captivity. First goes the north- God’s people from a world-wide holocaust. What 2 CHRONICLES: 2 Chronicles is the objective, un - is gone, and David n ow ascen ds the th rone. In ern , the n, abo ut 135 years later, the southern. The can one person do? Plenty — when harnessed flinching record of a people who forsook the Lord spite of Davi d’s well-documen ted failures, w e l essons c ontai ned here are powerful and practi- with God to do His will! and fell from the golden days of Solomon’s rule can’t help but see a remarkable foreshadowing: cal. Yes, sin has real consequences. But whom the a shepherd born in Bethlehem who be - Lord loves, He disciplines. All throughout this to captivity in Babylon, and this in less than 400 Be sure to visit uplook.org for thousands of comes a king in Jerusalem . In betwee n these book, God sent prophet after prophet to draw His years. But our faithful God is sure to end the book articles and uplook.tv for hundreds of short events, he is despise d by his brother s th ough peop le back to Him. May we heed the lessons on a high note! and teaching videos!