Old Testament Reference Sheet

God is eternal, self-existent, and the sole Creator of all things — He precedes and transcends creation

Humans uniquely reflect God's nature — possessing reason, moral agency, creativity, and capacity for relationship

Adam and Eve's disobedience introduced sin and death into creation, breaking humanity's relationship with God

The first promise of redemption — the seed of the woman will crush the serpent's head, pointing to Christ

Proto = first; evangelium = gospel

God judges the wickedness of humanity but preserves Noah and his family, establishing a covenant with the rainbow as its sign

God confused human language and scattered the people, responding to their prideful attempt to make a name for themselves apart from God

God promised Abraham land, descendants as numerous as the stars, and that all nations would be blessed through him

He believed God's promises despite impossible circumstances — leaving his homeland, trusting for a son in old age, and obeying the command to sacrifice Isaac

Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac demonstrates supreme faith and foreshadows God's provision of His own Son

He wrestled with God (or an angel) all night and was renamed Israel, meaning 'he struggles with God'

Israel = 'he struggles/strives with God'

What his brothers meant for evil, God meant for good — Joseph's suffering led to the preservation of Israel in Egypt

The twelve sons of Jacob (Israel)

God's deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt through Moses, the central saving act of the Old Testament

The night God struck down Egypt's firstborn but 'passed over' Israelite houses marked with lamb's blood on the doorposts

Foreshadows Christ as the Lamb of God

YHWH — 'I AM WHO I AM' — the self-existent, eternal God who is faithful to His covenant

God's moral law given at Sinai, forming the foundation of Israel's covenant relationship and Western legal tradition

A portable sanctuary where God's presence dwelt among His people, with sacrifices foreshadowing Christ's atonement

Because the people refused to enter the Promised Land at Kadesh-Barnea, lacking faith in God's promise despite His deliverances

The Torah (or Pentateuch): Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy

Moral law (Ten Commandments), ceremonial law (worship/sacrifices), and civil law (governing Israel's society)

The holiest day when the high priest entered the Holy of Holies to make atonement for all of Israel's sins

Described in Leviticus 16

'Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart, soul, and strength'

Covenant renewal — remembering God's faithfulness, obeying His law, and the blessings and curses of obedience and disobedience

They wanted to be 'like the other nations,' rejecting God's direct rule (theocracy) through judges

Saul — he was tall and impressive but disobeyed God repeatedly, and God rejected his dynasty

God promised David an eternal dynasty — a descendant would sit on his throne forever, fulfilled in Christ

2 Samuel 7

Adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah; consequences included family violence and turmoil throughout his reign

Extraordinary wisdom, building the Temple in Jerusalem, but also his later apostasy through foreign wives and idol worship

The kingdom split into Israel (ten northern tribes) and Judah (two southern tribes) due to heavy taxation and forced labor

A prophet who challenged 450 prophets of Baal; God sent fire from heaven, proving He alone is God

Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon

Parallelism — where the second line echoes, contrasts, or builds upon the first

Why do the righteous suffer? Job maintains his integrity while God reveals His sovereignty beyond human understanding

Apart from God, life 'under the sun' is vanity (hebel); true meaning comes from fearing God and keeping His commandments

The LORD as shepherd — He provides, protects, guides, comforts, and blesses His people through all of life

Reverent awe and submission to God — the beginning of wisdom and knowledge (Proverbs 1:7)

A spokesperson for God who called the people to covenant faithfulness, warned of judgment, and pointed to future hope

Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel

Called 'major' due to the length of their books

The Suffering Servant who bears the sins of many — a messianic prophecy Christians see fulfilled in Jesus Christ

Judgment was coming through Babylon because of Judah's idolatry, but God promised a new covenant written on hearts

God's power to restore Israel from spiritual death — the bones come to life, symbolizing national and spiritual restoration

To act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God

722 BC by the Assyrian Empire; the ten tribes were scattered and never fully restored

586 BC by Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar; Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed

Faithfulness to God under pagan rule — refusing to compromise (the lions' den, the fiery furnace) while serving with excellence

Cyrus the Great of Persia (538 BC), fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy

Ezra restored worship and teaching of the Law; Nehemiah rebuilt Jerusalem's walls — together they renewed the covenant

An arc of fertile land stretching from the Persian Gulf through Mesopotamia to the eastern Mediterranean, where civilization arose

It sat at the crossroads of three continents (Africa, Asia, Europe) and on major trade routes connecting Egypt and Mesopotamia

The primary river of Israel; crossing it symbolized entering the Promised Land under Joshua's leadership

A hypersaline lake at the lowest point on earth, bordering Israel and Jordan, too salty to support normal aquatic life

Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome