The prophets played a critical role in the Old Testament narrative and in the overarching story of the Bible, which is that God is redeeming a people by His Son for His Son's glory. The prophets were appointed by God to speak on His behalf with a message of judgment against sin and the call to look to Him in repentance and faith for salvation. Several of the prophets wrote the Old Testament Scripture, giving us God’s very own words to describe and communicate His plan to save sinners through Jesus Christ.

The wisdom literature, or poetical books, of the Old Testament don’t advance the story or narrative. Rather, they are highly instructive books that teach God’s people how to respond to God’s sovereignty in the midst of suffering, how to worship Him, and how to live wisely, lovingly and joyfully in a fallen world.

The book of Ecclesiastes is often either misunderstood or neglected entirely because of its difficult and challenging subject matter. But at its heart, Ecclesiastes is King Solomon’s memoir of the life that he lived "under the sun," or on this earth. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Solomon wrote about a philosophy of life that centers around two major propositions: first, that life is a gift from God to be enjoyed, but also that life is mysterious and will eventually come to an end. Friend, do you understand life from God’s perspective?

One of the major movements in Old Testament history begins with Israel's exile at the hands of the Assyrians in 722 BC. It was during that time that the northern ten tribes of Israel were destroyed. Several decades later, the prophet Jeremiah prophesied that the southern two tribes of Judah and Benjamin would also be taken into captivity by the Babylonians. Their exile would last for 70 years, but in the midst of this difficult time, God remained faithful, pleading with HIs people to turn from their wicked ways and believe in Him.

In the final movement of Old Testament history, God sovereignly and providentially worked among His people, calling them to repentance and directing them to carefully obey His word. After the people of Israel had spent so much of their history doing what was right in their own eyes, they finally submitted to God’s Word under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah.