Dispensation Bible Study #8

Dispensation of Law - The History Lesson

The dispensation of Law lasted 1,520 years: almost as long as the dispensation of Conscience. Biblically the dispensation of Law was in effect from Exodus of the Old Testament through the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) of the New Testament. Acts begins the Dispensation of Grace. The Gospels are the story of Jesus Christ who came to fulfill the Law and usher in the Grace Dispensation. Grace is of course the most important dispensation to us as it is the time period in which we live!! To understand Christ and the Gospel’s story of approaching Grace, we must understand the events leading up to Christ, so--before we go on--we are going to do a brief history lesson of the Jewish people.

Exod 3:7-8 And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; 8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey;

It was God’s intention to lead His people to the wilderness to give them the Law and then lead them directly to the promised land. However, because of their unbelief, Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years before actually entering into Canaan! The book of Numbers tells this story. At the end of the wilderness years, Moses led the people to the edge of the promised land and prepared to die by addressing the entire nation of Israel in a series of farewell speeches. These speeches are found in the book of Deuteronomy. Before Moses died (Deut 34:9), he appointed Joshua as leader of the Israelites. Joshua then led the Jews in their conquest of the promised land. After conquering Canaan, Joshua divided the land among the tribes and Israel renewed their covenant with God. The story of the conquest of Canaan and it’s dividing and covenant renewal is found in the book of Joshua.

Once the children of Israel were divided into tribes by territory, there was no official national leader. God intended for His law and priests to govern the people. There were certain men (and a woman) who arose throughout these years as judges. Thus this period of Israel was called the time of Judges. Some of these judges served the Lord; some did not. Some were prophets; some were not. They mainly served as military leaders and usually arose because of some crisis that resulted from Israel worshipping other gods. This period of Israel is recorded in the book of Judges. Typically, Israel would fall into idolatry and God would send another nation to oppress them. A judge would rise up and try to deliver Israel. The following is a list of all the judges mentioned in scripture along with the crisis that they faced and the parts of Judges that record their story.

Othniel of Judah- delivered Israel from the King of Mesopotamia after eight years of servitude. (Judges 3:5-9) Nephew of Caleb

Ehud a Benjamite and Shamgar- delivered Israel from Moab by personally killing their king, Eglon, in his own palace, and then slaying 10,000 of the Moabite army. (Judges 3:12-31)

Deborah and Barak- defeated the Canaanite army of 900 chariots and 10,000 men. During the battle, a furious storm broke out causing the famous archers of the Canaanite army defenseless. Flood waters then caused the chariots to bog down in the mud. (Judges 4:1-5:31) Chapter 5 is a song of Deborah.

Gideon- delivered Israel from the Midianite and Amalakite armies by leading 300 chosen men in a night “attack.” Their familiar attack was by blowing horns and crushing pitchers that hid their torches thus throwing the enemy into such confusion that they began to kill one another! (Judges 6:1-7:25)

Abimelech, Tola, and Jair- led Israel into a time of civil war by not worshipping the Lord Jehovah. (Judges 8:33-10:5)

Jephtha, Ibzan, Elon and Abdon- delivered Israel from first the Ammonites and then the Philistines. (Judges 10:6-12:15)

Samson- the most famous judge. Was supposed to deliver the Israelites from the Philistines. But allowed his special gift, unbelievable physical strength, to lead him into flirting with Delilah a Philistine woman. (Judges 13:1-16:31)

Sometime during the judges, a gentile woman became a part of the lineage of David and subsequently the Messiah, Jesus Christ, through a series of events in Moab and Israel. This beautiful story is told in the book of Ruth. Ruth was the Great-grandmother of King David.

In between the periods of when Judges ruled Israel, and Kings ruled Israel there arose a great prophet by the name of Samuel. Samuel was dedicated to the Lord before birth and became the best leader of Israel between Moses and King David. Under Samuel, Israel was unified and began to worship the Lord again. God helped Samuel defeat the Philistines through a sudden storm and earthquake and Samuel became the spiritual and political leader of Israel. The story of Samuel’s leadership is recorded in the first 8 chapters of the book of I Samuel. As Samuel grew older, the people began to desire a king. So Samuel anointed a king (Saul) thus relinquishing political power. Samuel continued to be the spiritual leader of Israel for years to come.

The next period of Israel’s history is the time of the Kings. There were 3 Kings before Israel was again divided in civil war because of idolatry. Here are the first three kings:

Saul- Anointed by Samuel, Saul started his reign well by defeating the Ammonites. Saul ultimately failed to obey God and His prophet and was eventually rejected by God as the king of Israel. (I Samuel 9:1-31:13)

David- Son of Jesse; also anointed by Samuel. David was perhaps the foremost character of the Old Testament. He was anointed king as a boy in secret well before the death of Saul, yet never attempted to take the throne while Saul was living. David was originally a shepherd boy and then a musician (harp) in the court of Saul. His legendary slaying of the giant, Goliath won him instant fame as a mighty warrior. David was known for his love of worshipping God and devotion to Jehovah. He made some mistakes, including adultery and murder, yet always repented before God. Under King David’s rule, Jerusalem was established as the capital of Israel and the nation flourished. The reign of David begins with his anointing as king in I Samuel 16:1 and ends with his death in I Kings 2:11. The entire book of II Samuel tells the story of King David’s life. As does the book of I Chronicles. David also wrote many songs or “psalms,” and approximately 73 of David’s songs are found in the Book of Psalms.

Solomon- Son of David, and the richest of the three kings. When God had promised him anything he wanted, Solomon pleased God by choosing wisdom. Because of his unselfishness, God blessed Solomon with tremendous prestige, power, and riches. Solomon also built a magnificent temple of huge proportions. During his reign, Israel reached it’s largest size and greatest power as a nation. Solomon’s riches became his downfall as he married many foreign women as a result of political agreements: a common practice back then but forbidden by God’s word in Deuteronomy. Naturally, Solomon’s many wives influenced him to worship idols rather than the one, true God. Solomon’s story begins in I Kings 1:10 and ends in I Kings 11:43. His story is also covered in the first 9 chapters of II Chronicles. Solomon probably wrote the book of Ecclesiastes, as well as, the book of The Song of Solomon which is actually a poem. Solomon also wrote the larger part of the book of Proverbs which is a book of wise sayings of the Hebrew people.

The next period of Israel’s history was one of civil war, known to Bible scholars as the period of the Divided Kingdom. When Solomon died, his son Rehoboam assumed the throne. Rather than lower taxes on his subjects, Rehoboam decided to raise the already steep rate. The ten northern tribes of Israel then revolted under a man named Jeroboam (I), to form their own nation. The ten northern tribes were still known as “Israel.” The two southern tribes became known as “Judah.” It is impossible in one study to give all the details of each ruler’s actions so we will merely list their names, if they served the Lord, how they died if not from natural causes, and how long they reigned. We will also mention the prophets alive in their time. Their stories are found in the books of I Kings, II Kings, and II Chronicles. All kings of the Northern tribes did not serve the Lord.

The Nineteen Kings of Israel (the Northern tribes) y=years, m=months, d=days

Jeroboam I, (22y); Nadab, slain (2y); Baasha (24y); Elah, slain (2y); Zimri, suicide (7d); Omri (12y); Ahab, slain (22y); Ahaziah, accident (2y); Jehoram, slain (12y); Jehu (28y); Jehoahaz (17y); Jehoash (16y); Jeroboam II (41y); Zacariah, slain (6m); Shallum, slain (1m); Menahem (10y); Pekahiah, slain (2y); Pekah, slain (20y); Hoshea, died in prison (9y).

The Nineteen Kings (and one queen) of Judah (the Southern tribes)

Rehoboam, good then evil (17y); Abijah, evil (3y); Asa, good (41y); Jehoshaphat, very good (25y); Jehoram, evil (8y); Ahaziah, evil, slain (1y); Athaliah, evil queen, slain (6y); Joash, good then evil, slain (40y); Amaziah, evil, slain (29); Uzziah, good then evil (52y); Jotham, evil (16y); Ahaz, very evil (16y); Hezekiah, very good (29y); Manasseh, very evil (55y); Amon, very evil, slain (2y); Josiah, very good, slain in battle, (31y); Jehoahaz, died in Egypt, (3m); Jehoiakim, evil died in Babylon (11y); Jehoiachin, evil, died in Babylon (3m); Zedekiah, evil, died in Babylon (11y).

After lasting about 250 years, the northern kingdom of Israel was taken into captivity in the ninth year of King Hoshea’s reign by the Assyrians (II Kings 17:5-6). The Assyrians brought in people from other captured lands to live in Samaria. These new groups mixed with the few Jews left to create a new, multi-race people known as Samaritans. The majority of the northern tribes now faded into Biblical obscurity.

The southern kingdom of Judah lasted 134 years after the capture of Israel. In the time of Israel’s defeat to the Assyrians, Hezekiah was king of Judah. Through the help of the prophet Isaiah, Hezekiah was able to hold off the Assyrians although he began to pay them an annual tribute (tax). Unlike his father, King Manasseh was very evil, and God allowed the Assyrians to conquer Jerusalem during his reign. During the reign of Josiah, Babylon attacked Assyria and King Josiah was killed in battle with the Egyptians who were trying to help Assyria. In King Jehoiakim’s reign, Babylon defeated Assyria and thus assumed political control of Judah. Because of Jehoiakim’s rebellion, Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar laid siege on Jerusalem taking away a number of princes including the prophet Daniel. When King Jehoiachin also was disloyal, Nebuchadnezzar again came to Jerusalem, this time taking away 10,000 of the best workers of the city. This group included the prophet Ezekiel. When King Zedekiah also rebelled, the Babylonians utterly destroyed Jerusalem and took the best of the remaining Jews into captivity. The small group of Jews who remained began to fight one another, and, fearing the wrath of Nebuchadnezzar, fled into Egypt taking the prophet Jeremiah with them. Prophets before the captivity included Elijah, Elisha, Joel, Jonah, Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Micah, Zephaniah, Jeremiah, Nahum, and Habbakkuk. All wrote books of the Old Testament containing their story except Elijah and Elisha whose stories are found with the kings’. Prophets during the time of the exile were Daniel, Ezekiel, and Obadiah.

For 50 years after the fall of Jerusalem, the Jews were forced to live in Babylon. There were, however, positive results of their captivity as they were forever cured of idolatry and Moses’s law became their focal point of living. They also realized their blessed identity as a nation while in exile. When the great king Cyrus became King of Persia, he conquered the majority of the kingdoms around him including Babylon. Unlike the Babylonian kings, Cyrus decreed that all people were free to return to their homeland (Ezra 1:2-4). The Jews began to return to Jerusalem. A group under Zerrubabel began to rebuild the temple. Later a second group came under the priest Ezra teaching Mosaic law and worship. Ezra is also largely responsible for the preservation of the scriptures! A third group soon came under Nehemiah and began to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. After king Cyrus died, King Darius began to reign. It was under Darius’ rule that the story of Daniel and the lion’s den takes place. After King Darius’ death, Xerxes became ruler of Persia. Xerxes’ Hebrew name was Ahasuerus, and it was in his riegn that the story of the book of Esther takes place. The Jews continued to live in peace in their rebuilt Jerusalem under the rule of the Persian kings until the end of the Old Testament. The Old Testament closes around 400 B.C.. Prophets during this time period were Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.

After the prophetic voice of Malachi, God ceased to talk directly to His people for 400 years. This is referred to as the Inter-Biblical Period by scholars because it took place between the Old and New Testaments. Because there were no prophets, no display of miracles from God, and no angelic visitations during this period, it is also referred to as “the silent years.” God, however, was working throughout this period to get everything perfect for the Messiah to come. There were several books written during this period of divine silence. They are I Esdras, II Esdras, Tobit, Judith, additions to Esther, The Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus, Baruch, The Song of the Three Holy Children, The History of Susanna, Bel and the Dragon, The Prayer of Manasseh, I Maccabees, and II Maccabees. Collectively they are referred to as the Apocryphal Books (hidden books). While valuable as historical references, We do not include the Apocrypha in the Holy Scriptures because they were written during a time when God was verbally silent. Therefore they could not have been divinely inspired. It is also interesting to note that Jesus himself quoted from many Old Testament books but NEVER quoted from any of the Apocryphal Books.

The Old Testament closes with the Jews still under Persian rule. In 334 B.C., Alexander the Great became commander of the Greek army and set out to conquer the world. This world included Persia and Jerusalem, so the Jews fell under Alexander’s rule. Jewish legend states that the Greek army was met outside Jerusalem by two priests who impressed Alexander the Great that he did not destroy the city. Whatever the reason, Alexander did treat the Jews with favor, even granting them the privilege of citizenship.

Alexander the Great died in 323 B.C. and his kingdom was divided among his four generals-- Ptolemy, Lysimachus, Cassander, and Seleucus. Ptolemy became the ruler over the Jewish region. This region was also coveted by Seleucus who was given the Egyptian lands to the south. Ptolemy was hard on the Jews at first, but then began to appreciate them. Throughout his reign, however, he was constantly at war with Seleucus in the south. In fact, in the 25 years after Alexander the Great’s death, Jerusalem changed hands 7 times! In 198 B.C. the Seleucids assumed control of Jerusalem for good and the Jews came under another kingdom’s rule.

At the time of the Jerusalem conquest the Seleucids were ruled by Atiochus III. When he died in 187 B.C., Seleucus IV became king and ruled until 176 B.C.. The easy years under these rulers came to an abrupt end when Atiochus Epiphanes came to power. In 169 B.C., when the Jews received a false report that Atiochus Epiphanes had died, they immediately began to celebrate in the street causing Atiochus’s hatred of the Jews to fanatical rage. He immediately began to try to stamp out the Jewish lifestyle and modes of worship. He also severely underestimated the Jewish loyalty to their God!

In 167 B.C. an old Israeli father by the name of Mattathias refused to worship a pagan god and started a Jewish revolt led by his sons. The newly formed rebels were led by his eldest son, Judas, and were to be known as the Maccabeans (hammerers). Through a series of brave and strategic battles, the Maccabeans won their independence from the Seleucid/Syrian armies. On December 25, 165 B.C., the Maccabeans rededicated the Jerusalem temple to God.

After Judas’ death in 161 B.C., various rulers were in control of Israel throughout its independence. During this time two political parties became very prominent in Israeli affairs. The Pharisees were a conservative group of the similar beliefs of their late leader Judas. The Pharisees were the majority party and held fast to Mosaic law and traditions. Their rivals were the Saducees who were more liberal in their thinking and, while jewish, more open to adopting the Greekish philosophy (Hellenism). These two parties constant clashes for control of the Jewish nation, ultimately led to another civil war in 69 B.C.. This war continued until 63 B.C., when Pompey the Roman general came and conquered the land placing the Jews under the Roman rule. Pompey was later killed by Julius Caesar who then died leaving the Roman kingdom in a political struggle. Caesar Augustus eventually became ruler of the kingdom with Herod the Great being the ruler of the Jewish area called Judea. It was into this setting that Jesus Christ was born in 4 B.C.!

Dispensational Outline of Books of the Bible

1. Innocence - Genesis 1:1-3:24

2. Conscience - Genesis 4:1-8:14

3. Human Government - Genesis 8:15-11:32

4. Promise - Genesis 12:1-Exodus 11:10

5. Law - Exodus 12:1 - John 21:25

6. Grace - Acts 1:1- Revelation 19:21

7. Millenial Reign - Revelation 20:1-15

Eternity (after time ends) - Revelation 21:1-22:21