The Law of God #

Karabinovich Edition

The Old Testament #

**The Creation of the Invisible World #

Before the creation of the world, the Lord created angels, that is, bodiless spirits, who fulfill God’s will and announce this will to people. When appearing to people, the holy angels take on a visible form, for example, in the appearance of young men, to show the swiftness of executing God’s will. God created all the angels good, rational, and free. However, one of the angels, Lucifer—the chief of the highest angelic order (and there were ten orders in total)—using his freedom, became prideful and stopped obeying God. From a good angel, he turned into an evil one, the devil, meaning “slanderer.” Other angels followed his wicked example and also became evil. For this, God cast them down from heaven into hell, and they became enemies of God, always and everywhere striving to do evil.

The Creation of the World #

In the beginning, God created heaven and earth from nothing with His Word alone.

The earth was initially invisible and unformed. Darkness was over the abyss, and the Spirit of God hovered over the waters.

God gave form to the visible world in six days.

On the first day, God created light.

God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light ‘day,’ and the darkness He called ’night.’ And there was evening, and there was morning: one day.

On the second day, God created the firmament, or the visible heavens, that is, the expanse of air and the starry sky.

God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters.” And God made the firmament, and He separated the waters that were under the firmament from the waters that were above the firmament. And God called the firmament ‘heaven.’

On the third day, God separated the waters from the land and created seas, rivers, and lakes on the earth, along with dry land and plants.

God said, “Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit trees.” And it came to pass.

On the fourth day, God created the heavenly lights: the sun, the moon, and the stars.

God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of heaven,” and God made two great lights, one to govern the day—the sun, and the lesser one to govern the night—the moon, and also the stars. And it was so.

On the fifth day, God created creeping creatures, fish, and birds, and all living things that fly in the air, and all living things that swim in the water.

On the sixth day, God created four-legged animals that live on dry land.

Also on the sixth day, God created man in the image of God, whom He created differently from other creatures.

God said, “Let Us make man in Our image and after Our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the beasts and all the cattle, and over all the earth, and every creeping thing that crawls on the earth.”

The words spoken by God when creating man, “Let Us make man in Our image and after Our likeness,” should be understood in the sense that man’s resemblance to God can only be spiritual, not physical, for Scripture says that God is Spirit. The image of God is manifested in each person in the immortality of the soul, in reason, free will, and the gift of speech, but not in the form of the human body. The likeness consists in the fact that man, through free will and with the help of God’s grace, can strive for spiritual perfection and holiness. Therefore, all people are created in the image of God, that is, they possess an immortal, free, and rational soul, but they only become like God when they strive to fulfill His holy will.

On the seventh day, God rested from all His works, meaning He ceased creating new creatures, but He governs everything created, or provides for it, which is why He is called the Provider.

God blessed this day and sanctified it, meaning He appointed it for people to especially glorify Him on this day. (Genesis, ch. 2, v. 2–3).

The seventh day is called the Sabbath, which means “rest” or “cessation from work.”

The Creation of Man and the Life of the First People in Paradise #

God created the body of the first man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his face the breath of life, and man became a living soul. The first man was named Adam by God, which means “red,” as he was made from red clay.

For man, God planted a paradise (a beautiful garden) in Eden, to the east, and He caused every tree that is pleasant to look at and good for food to grow there, but two trees were especially notable: the tree of life in the middle of paradise and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God placed man in this paradise so that he might cultivate and keep it. The tree of life had miraculous power to protect people from death, but concerning the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, God commanded Adam: “Of every tree in the garden you may freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat; for in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die.”

And God said, “It is not good for man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.”

God brought all the animals to Adam so that he might give them names. Adam gave names to the animals, but no helper suitable for him was found.

Then God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and while he slept, God took one of his ribs, and from this rib, He created a woman and brought her to Adam. Then Adam said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken out of man.” And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, which means “life” (Genesis, ch. 8, v. 20).

God blessed the man and the woman and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it.” With these words, God established the sacrament of marriage and gave the law of labor, as a necessary condition for happiness or bliss.

Thus, God’s will for the first people was expressed in the following commandments: to love God, to observe the Sabbath, to love their neighbor, to multiply, and, at the same time, to work, that is, to cultivate the garden. And God appointed for mankind to eat herbs bearing seed and the fruit of trees, and for the animals, birds, and creeping creatures—green herbs.

Adam and his wife were naked and were not ashamed; they lived in a state of blessedness. Their blessedness was in that they could converse with God (Genesis, ch. 2, v. 7–25).

The Fall of the Forefathers and Its Consequences #

The devil envied the blessedness of humans and sought to destroy them. One day, Eve was near the forbidden tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The devil entered the serpent, which was more cunning than all other animals, and said to her, “Is it true that God said you should not eat the fruit from any tree in the garden?” Eve answered, “We may eat the fruit from the trees; but of the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor touch it, lest you die.’” The serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die; for God knows that in the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like gods, knowing good and evil.” The woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise. She took of its fruit and ate; she also gave to her husband, and he ate. Immediately, by breaking God’s command, they felt shame and fear and realized that they were naked. They sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.

When the cool of the evening came, they heard the voice of God walking in the garden, and they hid among the trees, thinking they could hide from the All-Present God. God called out to Adam: “Adam, where are you?” Adam answered, “I heard Your voice in the garden and was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid.” God asked him, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree which I commanded you not to eat?” (With these words, God sought to incline man toward repentance). Adam, trying to shift part of his guilt onto the woman, even onto God Himself, said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.” God asked the woman, “What have you done?”

The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

Then God pronounced judgment on the tempter, on the woman, and on the man.

He said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle and more than every beast of the field. On your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.”

With these words, God said to the serpent, “You will be a low, despised, and hateful creature”; and to the devil, who was in the serpent, He said, “You will eternally suffer in separation from God; you will have constant warfare with people; the Seed of the woman, that is, the Savior, who will be born of the Most Holy Virgin, will utterly defeat you, and you will inflict a minor wound upon Him.” These words of the Lord to the fallen forefathers were the first joyous news of the coming Redeemer of the world.

To the woman, God said, “You will bear children in pain; you will have a desire for your husband, and he will rule over you.”

To Adam, He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree which I commanded you not to eat, cursed is the ground for your sake; in sorrow you shall eat from it all the days of your life. Thorns and thistles (that is, weeds) it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. By the sweat of your face, you shall eat bread (you will toil to obtain bread), till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. You are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

So that people would more firmly remember and believe that the Savior would come to earth and shed His blood for their sins, God commanded them to offer animals as sacrifices to Him. These sacrifices were to prefigure the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

And God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.

The devil can only tempt people, suggest bad thoughts and desires to them, but he cannot force them to do evil, for he has no power over people. This is why a person is always guilty when acting contrary to God’s commandments, for they possess reason and free will and can resist the devil’s temptations and ask for God’s help.

To prevent people from eating the fruit of the tree of life, God expelled them from the Garden of Eden and placed cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the path to the tree of life (Genesis, ch. 3, vv. 1–24).

From Adam and Eve, who were infected with sin, came all people; therefore, people are born in sin, which is called original sin, and, in addition, they sin themselves.

The holy Apostle Paul writes: “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans, ch. 5, v. 12), meaning that just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, so death passed to all people, for all have sinned in him.

Cain and Abel #

After Adam and Eve were expelled from paradise, they had a son named Cain (which means “acquisition”), and later a son named Abel (which means “mourning, vanity, futility”). Cain became a farmer, while Abel tended sheep.

One day, Cain brought an offering to God from the fruits of the earth, and Abel brought an offering from the firstborn of his flock. God saw that Abel offered his sacrifice with zeal, a contrite heart, and faith in the future Redeemer, while Cain offered his without zeal or reverence. Therefore, God graciously accepted Abel’s offering but rejected Cain’s. Cain was deeply upset by this and became envious of his brother. Cain said to Abel, “Let us go out into the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain killed Abel. After this, God asked Cain, “Where is Abel, your brother?” Cain replied, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” But God said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. You are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you; you shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” Cain said, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. Now that I must wander the earth, anyone who finds me will kill me.” God said to him, “Whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.” And God set a mark on Cain, so that no one would kill him. Cain went out with his wife (that is, his sister) from the place where God had appeared to people as their Father and settled in the east of Eden, where he built a city.

From Cain came a lineage of wicked people, who were called the “sons of men.” They concerned themselves only with security, comfort, and the pleasures of earthly life.

In place of Abel, Adam had a son named Seth. After Seth, Adam had many other sons and daughters. Adam lived on the earth for 930 years. From Seth came a lineage of pious people, who were called the “sons of God.” From his lineage came patriarchs like Enoch, Methuselah, Noah, and others. Enoch always remembered that God was with him everywhere and pleased God, so God took him alive to heaven. Enoch lived on earth for 365 years. Methuselah, the son of Enoch, lived for 969 years, longer than any other person (Genesis, ch. 4, v. 1–17, 25–26; ch. 5, v. 23–27).

The Great Flood #

As people multiplied on the earth, the sons of God (the descendants of Seth) were enticed by the beauty of the daughters of men (the descendants of Cain) and began to take them as wives. As a result, all people became corrupt. Then God said, “These people are unworthy for My Spirit to dwell in them. I will give them 120 years to repent.” But when the 120 years given by God for repentance had passed, the people became even more corrupt, and wickedness increased.

During this time, there was a righteous and blameless man—Noah. He had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. God said to Noah, “The earth is filled with wickedness because of humanity’s deeds. I will destroy them from the earth. You, however, build an ark, that is, a large ship, from incorruptible wood and cover it with pitch on the inside and outside.” (The ark was 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high; a cubit is about 18 inches or 45.7 cm.) “I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy every living thing on it. You will enter the ark with your wife and your sons with their wives.” In addition, the Lord commanded Noah to take into the ark all birds and animals—seven pairs of the clean and two pairs of the unclean (the clean were used by people to offer sacrifices to God, while the unclean were not). When Noah entered the ark, heavy rain poured down on the earth for forty days and forty nights. The waters overflowed the seas and rivers, covering all the mountains and rising fifteen cubits above the highest peaks. Everything was submerged, and only Noah and those with him in the ark remained. The ark floated upon the waters. The water covered the earth for 150 days, and after this, it began to recede. The ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat, which are in present-day Caucasus. Forty days after this, Noah opened a window in the ark and sent out a raven. The raven flew back and forth, returning to the roof of the ark. After seven days, Noah sent out a dove. The dove found no dry place to land and returned to the ark. After another seven days, Noah sent the dove again, and it returned with a fresh olive leaf in its mouth, and Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth. After waiting another seven days, Noah sent the dove out a third time, and this time, it did not return to him. Then God commanded Noah to leave the ark with all those who were with him.

Upon leaving the ark, Noah offered a thanksgiving sacrifice to God for their salvation. The Lord was pleased with this sacrifice, and He said in His heart, “I will not again curse the ground for man’s sake, ‘for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth,’” meaning that man’s thoughts are inclined toward evil from childhood.

And God established a covenant with Noah and his descendants that there would no longer be a flood, and as a sign of this covenant, He placed the rainbow in the cloud (Genesis, chs. 7, 8, and 9, vv. 1–17). Before the flood, the rainbow did not remind people of anything, but now it became a reminder of God’s promise that there would no longer be a flood.

The patriarch Noah prefigured the Savior, and his ark prefigured the Holy Church, in which people can be saved, just as those in the ark were saved from the flood.

The Children of Noah #

After leaving the ark, Noah began to cultivate the land and planted a vineyard. One day, he drank wine from the vineyard, unaware of its strength, and became drunk, lying naked in his tent. Ham, his son, saw this and mocked his father, telling his two brothers about it. Shem and Japheth took a garment, placed it on their shoulders, and walked backward to cover their father without looking at him. When Noah awoke and learned what Ham had done, he cursed him and said that his descendants would be in servitude to the descendants of his brothers. He then blessed Shem and Japheth. Noah also foretold that the true worship of God would be preserved among Shem’s descendants, and that the Savior of the world would come from this lineage, while the numerous descendants of Japheth would embrace the true faith from the descendants of Shem.

Noah lived 950 years (Genesis, ch. 9, vv. 20–29).

The Tower of Babel #

After the flood, all the descendants of Noah spoke one language, and the population grew, with the descendants of Ham becoming particularly powerful. Remembering Noah’s prophecy of their future servitude, they did not want it to come true and decided to build a city and a tower that would reach the heavens, to make a name for themselves. According to tradition, one man from Shem’s lineage, named Eber, along with his family, did not participate in this construction. From his descendants came Abraham, and the people who descended from this patriarch were called Hebrews, after Eber.

But God was displeased with their intentions and confused their language, scattering them across the earth. The unfinished city and tower were named Babel (which means “confusion”). Thus, different nations emerged, speaking different languages (Genesis, ch. 11, vv. 1–9).

The Patriarchs of the Hebrew People #

The Calling of Abraham by God and His Relocation to the Land of Canaan

To preserve the true faith, God chose the righteous Abraham, one of the descendants of Shem.

God appeared to Abraham and said to him: “Leave your country and go to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation and bless you; and in you, all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Abraham obeyed the Lord, took with him his father Terah (who died on the way), along with his wife Sarah and his nephew Lot, and relocated to the land of Canaan. Here, God appeared again to Abraham and said: “To your descendants, I will give this land.” For this reason, the land of Canaan is also called the Promised Land. It is also known as Palestine.

Abraham and Lot had much livestock, and disputes arose between Abraham’s shepherds and Lot’s shepherds. Abraham said to Lot: “Let there be no strife between us or between our herdsmen, for we are brothers” (meaning that they were relatives). “If you go to the left, I will go to the right; and if you go to the right, I will go to the left.” Lot chose the Jordan Valley, which was beautiful, like the Garden of God, and he pitched his tents there, settling in the city of Sodom. Abraham settled near the oaks of Mamre.

Soon after, the king of Elam, Chedorlaomer, along with his allies, attacked the cities in the Jordan Valley (Sodom, Gomorrah, and others), plundered them, and took the inhabitants into captivity, including Lot. When Abraham heard this, he took 318¹ of his servants and, with his allies, pursued the enemies, attacked them by night, defeated them, and rescued Lot, the people, and the plundered goods. As he returned from victory, the king of Sodom came to meet him, and Melchizedek², the king of Salem and a priest of the Most High God, brought him bread and wine and blessed him in the name of God. Abraham gave him a tenth of the spoils (Genesis, ch. 12, vv. 1–5; ch. 13, vv. 1–11; ch. 14, vv. 1–20).

The Appearance of God to Abraham in the Form of Three Travelers at the Oak of Mamre #

One day, as Abraham was sitting at the entrance of his tent near the oak grove of Mamre, he saw three travelers (this was the Lord with two angels—the Trinity). Abraham immediately ran to meet them, bowed to the ground, and said, “Lord, if I have found favor in Your sight, do not pass by Your servant. I will bring you some bread to refresh yourselves on your journey.” They agreed. Abraham washed their feet, prepared an abundant meal, and served them himself.

During the meal, the Lord said to Abraham, “In a year, your wife Sarah will have a son.” Sarah was standing at the entrance of the tent at the time, and she smiled, thinking to herself, “Shall I have such a joy in my old age?” But the Lord said, “Why did Sarah laugh? Is anything too hard for God?” God’s prediction was fulfilled. A year later, Abraham and Sarah had a son, whom they named Isaac (which means “laughter”). Abraham was one hundred years old at the time, and Sarah was ninety.

The travelers stood up and went toward Sodom. Abraham went to see them off. Then the Lord revealed to Abraham that He intended to punish the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah for their sins. Meanwhile, the two companions of the Lord went on to Sodom. Abraham approached the Lord and said, “Will You indeed destroy the righteous with the wicked? Perhaps there are fifty righteous people in the city. Will You not spare the place for the sake of fifty righteous?” The Lord said, “If I find fifty righteous in Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” Abraham continued, “What if five are lacking from fifty? Will You destroy the city for the lack of five?” The Lord said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five righteous there.” Encouraged by the Lord’s merciful answer, Abraham continued to ask, “What if there are forty? Or thirty? Or twenty? Or ten?” The Lord said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.” Abraham was confident that such a small number of righteous people could be found in the populous cities. The Lord became invisible, and Abraham returned to his place (Genesis, ch. 18).

The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah #

In the evening, two angels arrived in Sodom. Lot was sitting at the city gate. When he saw them, he rose, bowed to the ground, and invited them to stay at his house for the night. They accepted his hospitality, and Lot served them a meal. Before they went to bed, the men of Sodom surrounded Lot’s house and demanded that he hand over the strangers to them so they could harm them. They pressed hard against Lot and were about to break down the door. But the angels struck them with blindness. After this, the angels told Lot, “Whoever you have here that is close to you, bring them out of this place, for we will destroy it.” Lot went and told this to his two future sons-in-law, but they thought he was joking. When dawn came, the angels urged Lot to leave. Lot hesitated, so they took him by the hand, along with his wife and two daughters, and led them out of the city, instructing them not to look back. Then the Lord rained sulfur and fire from heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah, destroying the cities and their surroundings. Lot’s wife disobeyed the angels’ command, looked back, and turned into a pillar of salt (Genesis, ch. 19, vv. 1–26). Now, the Dead Sea occupies the location of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Hagar and Ishmael #

Abraham and Sarah had an Egyptian servant named Hagar. Since Sarah was childless into her old age, Abraham married Hagar, and soon she gave birth to a son named Ishmael, which means “God has heard.” At the time, Abraham was 86 years old. When Sarah’s son Isaac was born, Ishmael, being the elder, often mocked and mistreated Isaac. Because of this, Sarah cast out Hagar and her son from her home.

When Ishmael grew up, he settled in the wilderness of Paran, and from him came a people—the Hagrites, or Ishmaelites—who became known for their trade.

The Sacrifice of Isaac #

When Isaac grew up, God, in order to test Abraham’s faith and obedience, appeared to him and said: “Take your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and offer him as a sacrifice on the mountain I will show you.” Abraham obeyed. He saddled a donkey, took his son Isaac and two servants, along with wood and fire, and set out on the journey. On the third day, they arrived in the land of Moriah at a certain mountain. Abraham left the servants and donkey at the foot of the mountain, took the fire and knife, and placed the wood on Isaac. Together, they ascended the mountain. On the way, Isaac asked his father: “Father, we have the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the sacrifice?” Abraham replied, “The Lord will provide Himself a lamb.”

On the mountain, Abraham built an altar, bound Isaac, laid him on the altar, and raised his hand to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord stopped him and said, “Abraham, Abraham! Do not lay a hand on the boy. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld your only son from Me.” Abraham looked around and saw a ram caught in a thicket, and he offered it as a sacrifice instead of Isaac.

For his obedience, God blessed Abraham and promised that his descendants would be as numerous as the sand on the seashore, and that through his seed, all nations would be blessed, meaning that the Savior of the world would be born from his lineage (Genesis, ch. 22, vv. 1–18).

The Marriage of Isaac #

When Sarah reached the age of 127, she passed away. After Sarah’s death, Abraham sent his chief servant to his homeland in Mesopotamia to find a wife for his son Isaac from among his relatives, as he did not want Isaac to marry a daughter of the Canaanites. The servant found Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Nahor (Abraham’s brother), and she agreed to go with him to the land of Canaan. At the time, Isaac was 40 years old (Genesis, ch. 23, vv. 1–2; ch. 24, vv. 58–67). Abraham lived to be 175 years old.

Jacob’s Vision of the Mysterious Ladder #

Isaac and Rebekah had twin sons: the elder Esau and the younger Jacob, who was also called Israel. Esau, in his thoughtlessness, sold his birthright to Jacob, and therefore, before his death, the blind Isaac blessed his younger son Jacob and foretold that the Savior would come from his lineage. For this, Esau hated his brother and even wanted to kill him. As a result, Jacob had to flee from his parents’ home, following his mother’s advice, to Mesopotamia to his uncle Laban, who later gave Jacob his two daughters, Leah and Rachel, as wives.

On the way, Jacob stopped in the field to sleep, placing a stone under his head. In his sleep, he saw a ladder standing on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven. Angels of God were ascending and descending on it, and at the top stood the Lord. The Lord said to Jacob, “Do not fear. The land on which you sleep, I will give to you and your descendants. Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth, and through your seed, all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Genesis, ch. 27 and ch. 28, vv. 10–18).

The ladder that Jacob saw in his dream prefigured the Most Holy God-bearer, through whom our Lord Jesus Christ descended from heaven to earth.

The Sons of Jacob. Joseph #

Jacob had twelve sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Joseph, and Benjamin. The last two were from Rachel. Jacob loved Joseph more than all his other sons because of his innocence and sincerity, and he made him a coat of many colors. Out of jealousy, his brothers began to hate Joseph and could not speak kindly to him.

One day, Joseph told his brothers, “Listen to the dream I had: We were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around and bowed to my sheaf.” His brothers said to him, “Will you indeed reign over us?” Shortly after, Joseph told his father and brothers another dream: “I dreamed that the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” His father rebuked him and said, “What is this dream you have had? Shall I, your mother, and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the ground before you?” After this, his brothers hated him even more, but his father kept the dream in mind (Genesis 37:1–11).

Soon after, his brothers were tending the flocks far from home, and Jacob sent Joseph to check on them. When his brothers saw him approaching from a distance, they said, “Here comes the dreamer! Let’s kill him and see what will become of his dreams.” But Reuben, the eldest brother, said, “Do not shed his blood; throw him into this pit,” thinking he could later secretly rescue him and bring him back to their father. The brothers agreed and threw Joseph into a deep, dry pit. At that time, a caravan of Ishmaelite traders passed by. Judah, one of the brothers, suggested selling Joseph, and they sold him for twenty pieces of silver. Reuben was not present at the time, and when he returned and learned that Joseph had been sold, he was greatly saddened. Then they took Joseph’s coat, dipped it in goat’s blood, and brought it to their father, saying, “We found this. Isn’t it Joseph’s coat?” Jacob recognized the coat and sorrowfully exclaimed, “Surely a wild beast has devoured Joseph!” And he mourned for his beloved son for a long time (Genesis 37:11–35).

Joseph in Egypt #

The traders took Joseph to Egypt and sold him to Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh’s guard. Potiphar grew fond of Joseph because of his humility and gentleness and made him the overseer of all his possessions. God blessed Potiphar’s household because of Joseph. Potiphar’s wife, however, tried to seduce Joseph. When Joseph refused her advances, she falsely accused him before her husband, and Potiphar imprisoned Joseph in the king’s prison, where the royal prisoners were kept. The warden of the prison liked Joseph and entrusted him with overseeing all the prisoners. Later, Pharaoh became angry with his cupbearer and his baker and had them imprisoned in the same place as Joseph. One night, both the cupbearer and the baker had dreams, and they shared them with Joseph.

The cupbearer said, “In my dream, I saw a vine with three branches. It blossomed, and its clusters ripened into grapes. I had Pharaoh’s cup in my hand, and I took the grapes, squeezed them into the cup, and gave the cup to Pharaoh.” Joseph told him, “In three days, Pharaoh will restore you to your position. Remember me when you are in good fortune and bring me out of this prison.” Then the baker shared his dream: “I dreamed there were three baskets of bread on my head, and in the top basket were all kinds of food for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating it.” Joseph said to him, “In three days, Pharaoh will hang you, and the birds will eat your flesh.” On the third day, Pharaoh celebrated his birthday and remembered the cupbearer and the baker. He restored the cupbearer to his former position and hanged the baker. The cupbearer, however, forgot about Joseph (Genesis 37:37; 39; 40).

Pharaoh’s Dreams and Joseph’s Rise to Power #

Two years later, Pharaoh had two strange dreams in one night. In the first dream, he was standing by the river, and seven fat and beautiful cows came out of the river, followed by seven thin and ugly cows. The thin cows devoured the fat ones but remained as thin as before. In the second dream, seven full heads of grain grew on a single stalk, followed by seven thin and scorched heads of grain. The thin heads swallowed the full ones. In the morning, Pharaoh called all the wise men of Egypt, but none could interpret the dreams. Then the cupbearer remembered Joseph and told Pharaoh about him. Joseph was brought before Pharaoh, and he interpreted the dreams: “Both dreams mean the same thing. Seven years of abundance are coming to the land of Egypt, followed by seven years of famine.” Joseph advised Pharaoh to store enough grain during the years of abundance to last through the famine. Recognizing that God had revealed the meaning of the dreams to Joseph, Pharaoh made him the governor of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh himself, and entrusted him with managing the grain storage. Joseph married Asenath, and he was thirty years old at the time (Genesis 41).

Joseph’s Reunion with His Brothers #

During the seven years of plenty, Joseph gathered enough grain to last through the years of famine, and even to sell to other lands. People from everywhere came to Egypt to buy grain because the famine affected the whole land. Jacob’s sons also came to Egypt for grain. They bowed before Joseph, but they did not recognize him. Joseph, however, recognized his brothers. Wanting to see if they had changed, he spoke to them harshly and imprisoned them for three days. Then he said, “You are spies; you have come to see the weakness of our land.” The brothers answered, “No, we are honest men, all sons of one father. We were twelve, but one is no more, and the youngest remains with our father.” Joseph said, “If you speak the truth, let one of you stay here while the rest of you take the grain and bring back your youngest brother.”

The brothers then spoke among themselves in Hebrew, thinking Joseph did not understand: “We are suffering for the sin we committed against our brother. We saw his distress, but we did not spare him, and now this trouble has come upon us.”

Joseph kept Simeon, who had a harsh nature, in prison, and released the rest. A year later, the brothers returned to Egypt for more grain and brought their youngest brother, Benjamin, with them. Joseph welcomed them kindly, gave them grain, and secretly ordered that his silver cup be placed in Benjamin’s sack. As the brothers left for home, Joseph instructed his steward to catch up with them and accuse them of stealing the cup. The cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. The brothers returned to Joseph, fell to the ground, and said, “God has revealed our guilt; we are now your slaves.” Joseph replied, “No, only the one with whom the cup was found shall be my slave; the rest of you may return to your father.” Then Judah stepped forward and said, “My lord, our father is old, and he loves this son more than the others. If we do not bring him back, our father will die of sorrow. Please, let me remain as your slave instead of the boy, and let him return to our father.”

At these words, Joseph could no longer hold back his tears and said, “I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt.” The brothers were shocked, but Joseph reassured them: “Do not be afraid; it was God who arranged this to preserve your lives. Go quickly to our father and tell him to come to Egypt, for there are still five more years of famine.” Then Joseph embraced Benjamin, wept, and kissed all his brothers, releasing them with the words, “Do not quarrel on the way” (Genesis 42, 43, 44, 45:1–24).

Jacob’s Move to Egypt #

When Jacob’s sons returned from their second trip to Egypt, they told him that Joseph was alive and ruling in Egypt. They recounted all his words, and when Jacob saw the wagons Joseph had sent, his spirit revived, and he said, “It is enough! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.” So Jacob set out for Egypt with all his family—seventy-five people in total. When Jacob arrived in Egypt, in the land of Goshen, Joseph met him and brought five of his brothers to present to Pharaoh. Joseph then presented his father Jacob to Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. By Pharaoh’s order, Joseph gave his father and brothers land in the best part of Egypt, in the land of Goshen (Genesis 45:25; 46, 47:1–11).

Jacob’s Prophetic Blessing. The Death of Jacob and Joseph #

Jacob lived in Egypt for 17 years. Before his death, he blessed his children and Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. He gave a particularly important blessing to Judah. Jacob said: “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until He comes to whom it belongs, and the obedience of the nations is His” (Genesis 49:10). This prophecy was fulfilled when the Savior was born. At that time, the ruler from Judah’s line had already dwindled, and Herod the Idumean ruled Judea. After blessing his sons, Jacob lay down on his bed and died at the age of 147.

Joseph lived for 54 more years after Jacob’s death, supporting his brothers. As he was dying at the age of 110, he instructed his descendants to take his bones with them when they returned to the land of Canaan (Genesis 48, 49, and 50).

Job #

There was a man in the land of Uz named Job. He was devout, just, God-fearing, and avoided evil. He had seven sons and three daughters. He owned many herds of livestock and had a large household. He was the most renowned man in the East. His children lived together in love and harmony. His sons held feasts, each in his house on his appointed day, and invited their sisters to join them. When the days of feasting were over, Job would summon them, offer burnt offerings on their behalf, and say, “Perhaps my children have sinned.” The devil envied Job’s happiness.

One day, the sons of God (angels) came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan (the adversary, destroyer) came among them. The Lord asked Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered, “I have been roaming the earth.” The Lord asked Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? There is no one like him on earth, a blameless and upright man.” Satan replied, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Take away everything he has, and he will curse You.” The Lord said to Satan, “Everything he has is in your hands, but do not touch his person.” Satan left the Lord’s presence.

On the day when Job’s children were feasting in the house of their eldest brother, a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing, and the donkeys were grazing nearby, when enemies came and took them, and killed the servants.” While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the shepherds.” While he was still speaking, a third messenger came and said, “The Chaldeans raided the camels and took them, and killed the servants.” While he was still speaking, a fourth messenger arrived and said, “Your children were feasting in the house of their eldest brother, when a strong wind from the desert collapsed the house on them, and they are dead.”

Hearing these dreadful reports, Job arose, tore his clothes, shaved his head in mourning, fell to the ground, and worshiped God, saying, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return to the earth. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” But this was not the end of Job’s trials.

Afterward, Satan again appeared before the Lord. The Lord asked him about Job. Satan replied, “A man will give anything for his life; but touch his bones and flesh, and he will curse You.” The Lord said to Satan, “Job is in your hands, but spare his life.” Satan struck Job with terrible sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. Job took a piece of broken pottery to scrape himself, and he sat in ashes outside the city. His friends abandoned him, and his wife had to work for their bread. She said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die.” But Job replied, “You speak like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin with his words.

Later, God healed Job from his illness and blessed him even more than before. He had again seven sons and three daughters, and he died in old age, surrounded by a large family (Book of Job).

Moses #

By God’s blessing, the descendants of Jacob, or Israel, multiplied greatly in Egypt, becoming a nation and being called Israelites and Hebrews. After Joseph’s death, a new Pharaoh rose to power in Egypt, one who did not know of Joseph’s contributions. Fearing that the Israelites might join Egypt’s enemies in the event of war, the Pharaoh sought to limit their population growth by forcing them into hard labor—making bricks and building fortresses and cities. One Pharaoh even ordered the killing of all Hebrew male infants by drowning them in the river. During this time, a Levite woman gave birth to a son. She hid him for three months, but when she could no longer hide him, she wove a basket out of reeds, coated it with pitch, placed the baby inside, and set the basket among the reeds by the riverbank. The baby’s sister, Miriam, watched from a distance to see what would happen.

The Pharaoh’s daughter came to bathe at the river, noticed the basket, and ordered it to be brought to her. Upon seeing the crying baby, she felt pity for him and took him as her own, naming him Moses, which means “drawn out of the water.” Miriam then offered to find a nurse for the baby, and when the Pharaoh’s daughter agreed, she called the baby’s own mother, who nursed him.

Moses grew up in the royal court and was educated in all the wisdom of Egypt. However, he knew he was a Hebrew, loved his people, and often visited his relatives in the land of Goshen. One day, when Moses was 40 years old, he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew. He intervened to protect the Hebrew and, in the struggle, killed the Egyptian and buried him in the sand. Pharaoh learned of this and sought to kill Moses, but he fled to the land of Midian, where he settled with the priest Jethro, married his daughter, and tended his flocks (Exodus, ch. 2).

The Burning Bush #

One day, while Moses was tending the flocks near Mount Horeb, he saw a bush that was burning but not consumed by the fire. As Moses approached, he heard a voice from the bush saying, “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I have seen the suffering of My people in Egypt, and I am coming to deliver them from the hands of the Egyptians and lead them to the land of Canaan. Go to Pharaoh and bring My people out of Egypt.” The Lord also revealed His name, saying, “I AM WHO I AM. Tell the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.”

At this moment, God empowered Moses to perform miracles. The burning bush symbolized the Virgin Mary. Since Moses was slow of speech, God appointed his older brother Aaron to help him in freeing the Hebrews from Egyptian slavery (Exodus, ch. 3 and 4:1–29).

The Exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt #

Moses returned to Egypt with his brother Aaron and, in the name of God, demanded that Pharaoh release the Hebrew people. But Pharaoh replied, “I do not know your God, and I will not let the people go.” Then God, through Moses, brought ten plagues upon the Egyptians. Each time a plague struck, Pharaoh would call Moses, ask him to stop the plague, and promise to release the Hebrews. However, as soon as the plague ended, Pharaoh would harden his heart and refuse to let them go.

The plagues were as follows:

1. Moses and Aaron stood on the banks of the Nile, and, at Moses’ word, Aaron struck the water with his staff in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and the water turned to blood, killing all the fish.
2. Seven days later, at Moses’ command, Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, bringing forth a vast multitude of frogs.
3. Aaron struck the dust of the earth with his staff, and it turned into gnats, which covered the people and animals.
4. God sent swarms of biting flies throughout Egypt. From this plague onward, the Israelites were spared.
5. God sent a deadly pestilence on the Egyptian livestock.
6. Moses threw ashes into the air in Pharaoh’s presence, and it caused painful boils to break out on the Egyptians and their animals.
7. Moses stretched his staff toward the sky, and God sent thunder, hail, and fire, which destroyed the Egyptians’ crops and livestock.
8. Moses stretched his staff over Egypt, and a strong wind brought a swarm of locusts that devoured all the plants and fruit that had survived the hail.
9. Moses raised his hand toward the sky, and an impenetrable darkness covered Egypt for three days, while the Israelites had light in their dwellings.
10. God struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, both humans and animals.

Before the final plague, God instructed the Hebrews to choose a lamb without blemish for each household, sacrifice it without breaking any bones, roast it, and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. They were to mark the doorposts and lintels of their houses with the lamb’s blood. That night, the angel of the Lord passed through Egypt, striking down all the firstborn but sparing the houses marked with blood. This Passover lamb prefigured Jesus Christ, who would deliver humanity from sin and death by His blood. A great cry rose throughout Egypt, and Pharaoh summoned Moses, commanding him to take the Hebrew people and leave Egypt immediately.

Seventy-five people had come with Jacob to Egypt, but now, six hundred thousand men, not counting women and children, left with Moses. As the Hebrews journeyed from Egypt, a pillar of cloud led them by day and a pillar of fire by night, guiding their way. In memory of the Exodus, God instituted the feast of Passover, meaning “passing over” or “deliverance,” because the angel of the Lord passed over the houses marked with the lamb’s blood (Exodus, ch. 12 and 13).

The Crossing of the Red Sea #

After leaving Egypt, the Hebrews traveled toward the Red Sea. Meanwhile, after burying their firstborn, the Egyptians regretted letting the Hebrews go. Pharaoh gathered his army, including chariots and horsemen, and pursued the Hebrews, catching up with them at the sea’s edge. The Hebrews were terrified and reproached Moses for leading them out of Egypt. But Moses reassured them, saying, “Do not be afraid; stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord.”

Moses secretly prayed to God, and God instructed him to stretch out his staff over the sea. The waters parted, and the Hebrews walked through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and left. After the Hebrews had safely crossed, Moses again stretched out his staff, and the waters returned, drowning Pharaoh and the Egyptian army with their horses and riders.

The Israelites then sang a song of thanksgiving to God: “I will sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted; the horse and its rider He has hurled into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my defense; He has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him.” Afterward, the Israelites entered the wilderness of Arabia (Exodus, ch. 14 and 15:1–2).

Miraculous Events on the Way to Sinai #

For three days, the Israelites traveled through the wilderness without finding water. When they reached a place called Marah, they found water, but it was bitter. The people grumbled against Moses, but he prayed to God, and God showed him a tree, which Moses threw into the water, making it sweet.

When their supply of bread from Egypt ran out, God sent manna from heaven each morning, except on the Sabbath. Manna looked like small grains and tasted like wafers made with honey.

At one point, the Israelites could not find water again and complained to Moses. God instructed Moses to strike a rock with his staff, and water flowed out.

Throughout their journey in the wilderness, God miraculously preserved the Israelites’ health and clothing—their clothes did not wear out, and their feet did not swell from the long journey.

Victory Over the Amalekites #

As the Israelites journeyed toward Mount Sinai, the Amalekites, a nomadic people, attacked them. Moses sent Joshua to lead the Israelites in battle, while he, his brother Aaron, and his brother-in-law Hur (Miriam’s husband) went up on a hill to pray for victory.

Aaron noticed that whenever Moses held his hands up in prayer, Joshua prevailed, but when Moses grew tired and lowered his hands, the Amalekites gained the upper hand. So Aaron and Hur sat Moses on a stone and supported his hands, and the Amalekites were soon defeated.

Moses, with his uplifted hands, symbolized the cross, by which Christians overcome both visible and invisible enemies. Even in the Old Testament, the sign of the cross carried the power of victory.

The Sinai Legislation #

Three months after the Israelites left Egypt, on the day of the new moon, they arrived at Mount Sinai. God instructed Moses to tell the Israelites, “If you listen to Me and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” Moses conveyed these words to the people, and they responded, “We will do everything the Lord has said.”

On the third day, which was the fiftieth day after their departure from Egypt, the morning was marked by thick clouds, flashes of lightning, thunder, and the sound of a trumpet growing louder and louder. Smoke billowed up from the mountain like from a furnace, and the whole mountain shook violently. Moses led the trembling people to the foot of the mountain. A boundary was set around the mountain, and no one was allowed to cross it on pain of death. The Lord descended on the mountain in the midst of angels, and Moses stood on the mountain as the mediator between God and the people. Then God spoke to the people in a thunderous voice from the fire:

I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

Thou shalt not kill.

Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Thou shalt not steal.

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.

The people listened to God’s commandments with great fear and trembling. Moses sent the people back to their tents, but he himself entered the thick darkness where God was, to hear from the Lord the moral, ceremonial, and civil laws. Moses remained on the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights without eating or drinking. God gave him two stone tablets on which were written the Ten Commandments: the first four concerning love for God, and the other six concerning love for others.

All these laws, along with the traditions handed down from generation to generation, from the creation of the world, were recorded by Moses in the five books: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. This is how we received the Holy Scripture of the Old Testament. (Exodus 19–24:1–7)

The Golden Calf #

During Moses’ 40-day stay on Mount Sinai, the Israelites, not seeing him for so long and not knowing what had happened to him, demanded that Aaron make them a god to lead them further. Aaron, hoping to dissuade them, asked for all the gold earrings they had. The Israelites willingly brought them, and Aaron made a molten golden calf from the earrings. When the Israelites saw the calf, they said, “Here is your god, O Israel, who brought you out of Egypt!” The next day, they offered sacrifices before the calf, and they feasted, sang, and danced around it. At this moment, the Lord handed Moses the tablets.

Descending from the mountain and seeing the calf and the revelry, Moses was filled with anger, threw down the tablets, and broke them. He took the calf, burned it in the fire, ground it to powder, scattered it in the stream, and made the Israelites drink it. The chief offenders of this idolatry were struck down by the swords of the Levites, or were killed by God’s direct intervention (around 3,000 perished).

By God’s command, Moses carved out two new stone tablets and ascended Mount Sinai once again, spending another 40 days and nights in prayer, without food or water. This time, the Lord revealed His glory to Moses in a special way and wrote the Ten Commandments on the tablets. When Moses descended from Mount Sinai with the tablets, the Israelites saw that his face was shining with radiant light from speaking with God, and they were afraid to come near him. From that time, Moses wore a veil over his face, which he removed only when standing before God. (Exodus 32 and 34)

The Tabernacle #

The Israelites camped at Mount Sinai for a full year. During this time, Moses constructed the tabernacle, or portable sanctuary, following the pattern shown to him by the Lord on Sinai. The tabernacle was made of costly fabrics hung on poles. It had three sections: the outer court, the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies. The outer court was for the people; in the middle of the court stood the altar for burnt offerings. Only the priests could enter the Holy Place, where the table with the twelve loaves of bread, the seven-branched lampstand, and the incense altar were located. The Holy of Holies was entered only by the high priest, once a year, to sprinkle the blood of the sacrificial animal. In the Holy of Holies stood the Ark of the Covenant, a box made of fine wood and overlaid with gold. Inside it were the tablets of the covenant and a jar of manna. On its lid were the golden figures of two cherubim.

For the service of the tabernacle, Moses, by God’s command, appointed the tribe of Levi. His brother Aaron was made the high priest, Aaron’s sons were made priests, and the other descendants of Levi were assigned as Levites, or assistants. (Exodus 35–40)

The Israelites Spy Out the Land of Canaan #

When the Israelites reached the border of the land of Canaan (at Kadesh-Barnea), God commanded Moses to send men to spy out the land—one from each of the twelve tribes. The twelve men explored the land of Canaan and returned to camp after 40 days. They brought with them a cluster of grapes so large that it had to be carried on a pole by two men, along with pomegranates and figs. They reported, “The land truly flows with milk and honey, but the people there are strong, and their cities are large and fortified. We were like grasshoppers in our own eyes compared to them.” After hearing their report, the Israelites wept and grumbled against Moses and Aaron, even against the Lord Himself, and began to conspire to appoint a new leader and return to Egypt. Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before the assembly, and two of the spies, Joshua and Caleb, said to the people, “The land we explored is exceedingly good; the Lord will help us take possession of it.” But the people wanted to stone them. Suddenly, the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle before all the people, and God said, “For every day you spied out the promised land, you will wander in the desert for one year—for a total of forty years. All of you who are twenty years old or more will die in the desert, except Joshua and Caleb. Only your children will enter the promised land.” The rebels were punished with death, and the Israelites continued to wander in the wilderness for another forty years. (Numbers 13 and 14)

The Miraculous Rod of Aaron #

To stop the Israelites from complaining about Aaron’s leadership and his family’s position, God instructed Moses to take a staff from each of the leaders of the tribes of Israel, including Aaron’s staff, and place them in the tabernacle before the Ark of the Covenant. God said, “The staff of the man I choose will sprout.” Moses did as God commanded. The next day, Aaron’s staff had not only sprouted, but it had budded, blossomed, and produced almonds. Moses showed the staff to the people and then placed it before the Ark of the Covenant as a sign of God’s choice of Aaron and his sons for the priesthood. (Numbers 17)

The Bronze Serpent #

In the fortieth year of their wandering in the desert, the Israelites again began to complain against God and Moses, saying, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread, there is no water, and we loathe this miserable food (manna).” Because of their sin, the Lord sent venomous snakes among the people, and many died from their bites. When the people repented of their sin, Moses prayed to God, and the Lord told him, “Make a bronze serpent and set it on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” Moses made a bronze serpent and put it on a pole, and anyone who had been bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze serpent lived. (Numbers 21:5–10)

The bronze serpent lifted up on the pole symbolized Jesus Christ, who would be lifted up on the cross. Whoever looks upon Him with faith is healed from sin.

Balaam’s Prophecy #

As the Israelites neared the end of their wandering, they arrived in the land east of the Jordan River, where they defeated the kings of Bashan and the Amorites. The king of Moab was greatly troubled by the Israelites’ successes and sent for the famous soothsayer Balaam, who had the prophetic gift from God but had been corrupted by his pagan environment and used his gift for profit. It was known that those whom Balaam cursed would not prosper. The Moabite king asked him to travel a great distance (500 miles) to curse the Israelites. On the way, an angel of the Lord blocked Balaam’s path, and the donkey he was riding saw the angel and refused to move, causing Balaam to beat the animal. Then the donkey spoke in a human voice, reproaching Balaam for his mistreatment. Balaam’s eyes were opened, and he saw the angel, who commanded him to speak only what the angel told him to say to the Moabite king.

Instead of cursing the Israelites, Balaam pronounced a blessing on them and prophesied the birth of the Savior: “I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob, a scepter will rise out of Israel.”

However, Balaam later advised the Moabites to lead the Israelites into idolatry and other sins, for which God punished the offenders with death. After repenting, the Israelites defeated the Moabites, and Balaam was also killed. (Numbers 22, 25, 31)

The Death of Moses and Joshua’s Leadership #

In the fortieth year after the Exodus from Egypt, God told Moses to prepare for his death. Moses gathered the Israelites several times, reviewed and explained the Law of God, and urged them to obey it. During these meetings, Moses gave the people a prophetic message: “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to Him!” This prophecy referred to Christ.

Finally, Moses received the command from God to go up Mount Nebo. Before ascending the mountain, Moses prophetically blessed the Israelites by tribe, then climbed Mount Nebo, gazed upon the promised land, and died.

Joshua #

After the death of Moses, Joshua took leadership over the people of Israel, filled with the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him.

During Joshua’s leadership, the Lord repeatedly helped His people. When the Israelites were about to enter the Promised Land, they had to cross the Jordan River. Joshua commanded the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant to go ahead. As soon as their feet touched the water, the river parted: the water flowing from above stopped and formed a wall, while the lower part flowed into the sea, and the people crossed on dry ground.

When the Israelites came to the city of Jericho, which had strong walls, the Lord commanded them to march around the city with the Ark of the Covenant once a day for six days, and on the seventh day to march around it seven times and blow trumpets. When they did this, the walls miraculously collapsed on their own, and the Israelites destroyed the inhabitants and captured the city. Only one woman, Rahab, was spared; she later became the great-grandmother of King David.

At Gibeon, there was a great battle with the Canaanite nations. The Israelites defeated their enemies and put them to flight, and God sent hailstones from heaven on the fleeing armies, killing more of them with the hail than with the sword. The day was nearing its end, and the Israelites had not yet completed their victory over the enemies. Then Joshua, praying to God, cried out before the people, “Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and moon, over the valley of Aijalon.” And the sun stood still, and the night did not fall until the Israelites had defeated their enemies.

With God’s help, Joshua conquered the entire Promised Land in six years and divided it by lot among the twelve tribes of Israel. (Joshua 10:1–27). Although there were 13 tribes in total, since Joseph had two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, both of whom became heads of their own tribes, the tribe of Levi was assigned to serve at the tabernacle and was not included in the allotment, leaving 12 tribes of Israel.

The Judges #

After the death of Joshua, Israel had no single leader with full authority, so they fell into lawlessness: everyone did what seemed right to them. They quarreled among themselves, made alliances and intermarried with the Canaanites, served their idols, and adopted their immoral practices. For this, God repeatedly withdrew His help and allowed them to fall into the hands of the very Canaanites with whom they had allied and intermarried. However, whenever the Israelites repented of their sins and turned back to God, He sent them leaders who delivered them from their enemies, restored true worship of God, reestablished order, and ruled according to God’s will. These leaders were called judges.

There were sixteen³ judges in total. Of all the judges, the most notable were Gideon, Samson, the high priest Eli, and Samuel.

Gideon #

At one time, the neighboring nation of Midian oppressed the Israelites for seven years, taking away their goods and crops. The Israelites prayed to God, and He chose Gideon to save them. Gideon gathered an army of 32,000 men to fight the enemy. But the Lord said to him, “You have too many men. Tell the people that anyone who is afraid should go home.” After this, 10,000 men remained. But the Lord said that even this was too many, and He commanded Gideon to take the army to the water and choose only those who drank by cupping water in their hands, while those who knelt to drink directly from the stream should be sent home. It turned out that only 300 men drank by hand. Gideon gave each of them a trumpet and an empty jar with a hidden torch inside, and at night they surrounded the enemy camp. At the signal, all of Gideon’s men broke their jars, blew their trumpets, and held the torches in their hands, shouting, “The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!” The Midianites panicked, turned on each other in the darkness, and the rest fled. After this, the Israelites wanted to make Gideon their king, but he refused, saying, “The Lord shall rule over you.”

Samson #

The Israelites did evil in the sight of the Lord, and He handed them over to the Philistines for 40 years.

When the Israelites repented, God raised up Samson to deliver them. The Spirit of the Lord was upon Samson, giving him extraordinary strength. He caused great harm to the oppressors of his people through his superhuman strength.

However, Samson unwisely revealed to a Philistine woman that his strength lay in the fact that he was a Nazirite dedicated to God, and if his hair were cut, his strength would leave him. The Philistines, learning this, cut Samson’s hair while he slept, and his strength left him. The Philistines then gouged out his eyes, took him to their city of Gaza, bound him with bronze chains, and forced him to grind grain in prison.

In his suffering, Samson repented of his past mistakes. His hair began to grow again, and with it, his strength returned. The Philistine rulers gathered in the temple of their god Dagon to offer a sacrifice and celebrate Samson’s capture. They brought Samson out to entertain them. As they mocked him, Samson asked the boy who led him to place him between the pillars supporting the temple. The temple was filled with people, including all the Philistine rulers, and about 3,000 men and women were on the roof. Samson prayed to God, then braced himself against the two central pillars and said, “Let me die with the Philistines,” and pushed with all his might. The temple collapsed on the rulers and all the people in it, killing more enemies in his death than he had during his entire life. (Judges 13–16)

The High Priest Eli #

The penultimate judge of Israel was the high priest Eli, a pious man, but his two sons, also priests, behaved wickedly and corrupted the people. They took bribes in court, condemned the innocent, and acquitted the guilty. Eli knew about their wrongdoing but did not take strong enough measures to correct them. Therefore, the Lord revealed through the boy Samuel, who was being raised in the temple, that Eli’s family would be punished for his failure to raise his sons in the fear of God.

Indeed, when the Philistines went to war against the Israelites, the elders of Israel thought that bringing the Ark of the Covenant into battle would save them from defeat. Eli’s two sons, the wicked priests, accompanied the Ark. But the Lord allowed the Israelites to be defeated as punishment for their sins; the Ark of the Covenant was captured by the Philistines, and Eli’s two sons were killed. When Eli heard of the defeat of Israel and the death of his sons, he fell from his seat, broke his neck, and died at the age of 98. (1 Samuel 3–4)

Samuel #

The last judge of the people of Israel was the prophet Samuel. He delivered the Israelites from the power of the Philistines and ruled over the people for forty years. However, in his old age, he passed authority to his two sons, who judged unjustly: they accepted bribes, acquitted the guilty, and condemned the innocent. As a result, the Israelites asked Samuel to appoint a king to rule over them.

Samuel believed that God Himself was the King over Israel and therefore long resisted the idea of appointing an earthly king. But the Lord said to Samuel, “It is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected Me as their king. Listen to their voice, but solemnly warn them and tell them what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights: ‘He will take your sons and assign them to his chariots and horses… He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers. He will take your best servants and maids, and the finest young men and donkeys, and put them to his work… Then you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.’” (1 Samuel 8:6–18). Yet the people refused to listen to Samuel, and God said to him, “Tomorrow a man will come to you, and you shall anoint him as king over the people of Israel.” This man was Saul from the tribe of Benjamin, who became the first king of Israel.

Ruth #

During the time when judges ruled Israel, there was a famine in the land. Because of this, a man from Bethlehem, Elimelech, along with his wife Naomi and their two sons, moved to the land of Moab. There, Elimelech died, and his sons married Moabite women but also soon died. One of these Moabite women was named Orpah, and the other Ruth. After the deaths of her sons, Naomi decided to return to her home in Bethlehem. Orpah and Ruth initially followed her, but Naomi urged them to return to their families because of her poverty. Orpah returned home, but Ruth said to her mother-in-law, “Where you go, I will go; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God; only death will separate me from you.”

Naomi and Ruth arrived in Bethlehem during the barley harvest. With no food, Ruth went to the fields to gather leftover grain and found herself in the field of Boaz, a relative of Naomi’s late husband. Boaz noticed Ruth, invited her to eat with his workers, and allowed her to gather as much grain as she wanted. He even instructed his workers to leave extra for her to pick up. Ruth continued to glean in Boaz’s field until the harvest ended. Eventually, Boaz married Ruth. She bore a son named Obed, the father of Jesse, who became the father of David. Thus, Ruth, a foreigner, became the great-grandmother of King David, from whose lineage the Savior of the world came. (Book of Ruth).

Saul, the First King of Israel #

One day, a man named Kish from the tribe of Benjamin lost his donkeys and sent his son Saul, along with a servant, to find them. After a long search, Saul decided to visit the prophet Samuel to ask for help in finding the lost donkeys. Samuel received Saul with great honor and informed him that the donkeys had already been found. As Saul was leaving, Samuel anointed his head with sacred oil and said, “The Lord has anointed you as king over His people.” Along with this, the Spirit of God came upon Saul.

Shortly after, Samuel gathered the people to officially choose a king. They cast lots, and the lot fell to Saul, who was then proclaimed king.

In the early years of his reign, Saul acted in accordance with God’s will, but over time, he became proud and disobedient. Once, the Lord commanded Saul to go to war against the neighboring pagan nation, the Amalekites, and to destroy all its inhabitants and their possessions. However, Saul spared the defeated king and selected the best of their livestock. When Samuel came to Saul, Saul said, “I have carried out the Lord’s command.” Samuel asked, “Then why do I hear the bleating of sheep and the lowing of cattle?” Saul replied, “The people spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord.” Then Samuel said, “Obedience is better than sacrifice, and rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft. Because you have rejected the command of the Lord, He has rejected you as king and will give the kingdom to your neighbor, who is better than you.” From that time on, the Spirit of God departed from Saul, and he was troubled by a spirit of despair and melancholy. (1 Samuel 9–15).

The Anointing of David as King #

Samuel came to Bethlehem and invited the elders of the city, along with Jesse and his sons, to offer a sacrifice to the Lord. Jesse brought seven of his sons before Samuel, but Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen any of these,” and asked Jesse, “Are these all your sons?” Jesse replied, “There is still the youngest, David, who is tending the sheep.” Samuel instructed them to bring him. When David was brought before him, he was fair, with beautiful eyes and a pleasant appearance. The Lord said to Samuel, “Arise, anoint him, for he is the one.” Samuel took the horn of sacred oil and anointed David, and the Spirit of the Lord came upon him from that day onward.

When the Spirit of the Lord rested on David, Saul began to be troubled by an evil spirit. Saul’s servants suggested that they find someone skilled in playing the lyre to soothe him when the evil spirit disturbed him. One of them recommended David as a brave, wise, and skillful lyre player. David was brought before Saul, who liked him and made him his armor-bearer. When the evil spirit troubled Saul, David would play the lyre, and Saul would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him. (1 Samuel 16).

David’s Victory Over Goliath #

During Saul’s reign, the Israelites found themselves at war with the Philistines. As the armies faced each other, a giant named Goliath came out from the Philistine camp, challenging the Israelites: “Why should all of us fight? Let one man come out and fight me, and if he kills me, we will be your servants; but if I kill him, you will be our servants.” For forty days, Goliath came forward, mocking the Israelites and defying the God of Israel. Saul promised a great reward to whoever would defeat Goliath, but no one dared to face the giant.

At this time, David came to the Israelite camp to visit his older brothers. He asked the king for permission to fight the giant, took a sling and five smooth stones, and went out to meet him. Goliath looked down on David with disdain because he was just a youth and mockingly said, “Am I a dog that you come at me with sticks and stones?” David replied, “You come at me with sword and spear, but I come against you in the name of the Lord God. Today, the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel, for the Lord does not save by sword or spear.” David then slung a stone at Goliath, striking him in the forehead. Goliath fell face down to the ground, and David ran to him, took Goliath’s own sword, and cut off his head. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled, and the Israelites pursued and killed many of them. When Saul and David returned after the victory, the women of Israel came out singing, “Saul has slain his thousands, but David his tens of thousands.” This displeased Saul, and he began to persecute David, although he had given him his daughter in marriage and made him a commander in his army. (1 Samuel 17 and 18:1-5).

Saul’s Persecution of David #

After David’s victory over Goliath, Saul became suspicious of him and sought to kill him, attempting to do so multiple times. Twice Saul hurled a spear at David, and he even ordered his son Jonathan to kill him. But with patience and humility, David endured Saul’s long persecution, continuing to honor him as the Lord’s anointed. David’s parents and all his relatives had to flee their homeland due to Saul’s relentless pursuit.

Saul himself pursued David with an army and once entered a cave where David was hiding. David quietly cut off the edge of Saul’s robe but did not harm him, refusing to raise his hand against the Lord’s anointed. When Saul learned that David had taken the consecrated bread from the tabernacle and the sword of Goliath while fleeing, he became enraged and ordered the death of the high priest Ahimelech and 85 priests. He also destroyed the town of Nob, where the high priest lived. Only the priest Abiathar escaped and fled to David.

The Philistines invaded Israel, and Saul gathered an army to fight them. A battle ensued, and the Philistines routed the Israelites, killing Saul’s three sons. Saul, gravely wounded and not wanting to be captured by the enemy, fell on his own sword and died. (1 Samuel 31 and 1 Chronicles 10).

David’s Reign #

After Saul’s death, the tribe of Judah recognized David as king, while Saul’s son Ishbosheth ruled over the other tribes. After seven and a half years, when Ishbosheth was killed, David became king over all of Israel. The Lord blessed David’s reign and helped him in all his endeavors. David conquered the city of Jerusalem and made it the capital of the Israelite kingdom. Instead of the old tabernacle of Moses, David erected a new one in Jerusalem and solemnly moved the Ark of the Covenant into it. David wished to build a permanent temple, but the Lord told him, “You shall not build a temple because you have fought many wars and shed much blood. Your son, who will reign after you, will build it.”

David’s Sin #

One evening, while walking on the roof of the royal palace, David saw a beautiful woman in a neighboring house. This was Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, who was away at war. Desiring to take her as his wife, David sent orders to Joab, his commander, to place Uriah in the thick of battle. Joab followed the king’s orders, and Uriah was killed. David married Bathsheba. When their son was born, God sent the prophet Nathan to confront David about his sin. Nathan told him a parable about a rich man who took a poor man’s only lamb to entertain a guest. David, not realizing the parable was about him, said, “The man who did this deserves to die.” Nathan replied, “You are that man. The sword shall never depart from your house because of this.” David repented, and though God did not punish him with death, the child born to Bathsheba died, and David suffered many family tragedies. The psalm “Have mercy on me, O God” remains a testament to David’s repentance. From Bathsheba, David later had another son, Solomon.

David reigned for forty years and died in old age. He wrote many hymns known as Psalms, which make up the sacred book of Psalms, frequently read during church services.

Solomon’s Reign #

When Solomon’s reign was established, he went to Gibeon, where the Tabernacle of Moses was, and offered a thousand burnt offerings to God. That night, God appeared to Solomon in a dream and said, “Ask what I shall give you.” Solomon replied, “You, Lord, have made me king. Give me wisdom to govern the people.” This request pleased the Lord, and He said, “Since you have not asked for long life or riches, but for wisdom, I will give you wisdom greater than any before or after you. Moreover, I will give you riches and honor, so that no king will be like you all your days. And if you keep My commands, I will also grant you a long life.”

Solomon’s wisdom was immediately evident in his judgments. Upon returning to Jerusalem, two women came before him. One said, “My lord, this woman and I live in the same house. I gave birth to a son, and three days later, she also gave birth. During the night, her son died because she lay on him. She took my son while I slept and placed her dead son beside me. In the morning, I realized the dead child was not mine.” The other woman argued, “No, the living son is mine, and the dead one is hers.” Solomon ordered a sword to be brought and said, “Cut the living child in two and give half to each woman.” The real mother immediately cried out, “No, give her the child; do not kill him!” The other said, “Let it be neither mine nor hers—cut it!” Solomon declared, “Give the living child to the first woman; she is the mother.” All of Israel marveled at Solomon’s wisdom.

Solomon also became famous for building the Temple in Jerusalem. The Temple was based on the design of the Tabernacle but was more spacious and magnificent. Its walls were overlaid with white marble outside and gold inside, and all the furnishings for worship were made of gold. When the Temple was completed and the Ark of the Covenant was placed in it, the glory of the Lord, in the form of a cloud, filled the Temple, so much so that the priests could not minister, and fire came down from heaven to consume the sacrifices.

However, because of his negligence and permissiveness in matters of faith, God became angry with Solomon. He had many wives, including foreign women, for whom he built pagan altars and even visited these places himself. For this, the Lord declared through a prophet that the kingdom of Israel would be divided after Solomon’s death, with only a small portion going to his son.

At the end of his life, Solomon repented and returned to God. His repentance is recorded in the book he wrote, Ecclesiastes, which teaches that all worldly pursuits are vanity and that true fulfillment is found in obeying God’s laws. Solomon reigned for forty years. His reflections on the futility of earthly endeavors are summed up in the opening words of Ecclesiastes: “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” He concluded his confession with a call for all to obey God’s will: “Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.”

Division of the Kingdom of Israel into Judah and Israel #

After the death of Solomon, the Israelites gathered in Shechem and summoned Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, to crown him as king. Jeroboam, a former worker during the construction of the Jerusalem temple from the tribe of Ephraim, also came with the people before Rehoboam and said, “Your father placed a heavy yoke on us; lighten it, and we will serve you.” Rehoboam ignored the advice of the elders who had served his father and who had advised him to please the people, fulfill their request, and speak kindly to them. Instead, he listened to his young advisors and harshly replied to the people: “My father placed a heavy yoke on you, I will make it even heavier; he chastised you with whips, I will chastise you with scorpions (whips with barbs).” The people were insulted by this response, and ten tribes chose Jeroboam as their king. Only two tribes, Judah and Benjamin, recognized Rehoboam as their king. Thus, the kingdom of Israel split into two kingdoms: the Kingdom of Judah and the Kingdom of Israel.

Rehoboam’s kingdom was called the Kingdom of Judah, while Jeroboam’s kingdom became the Kingdom of Israel. The capital of Judah was Jerusalem, and the capital of Israel was Samaria.

The people of the Kingdom of Israel would go to worship God at the Jerusalem temple during great feasts. This displeased King Jeroboam; he feared that his subjects might become close with the Judeans and join the Kingdom of Judah. To prevent them from going to Jerusalem, Jeroboam set up two golden calves in two different parts of his kingdom and declared to the people: “You don’t need to go to Jerusalem; here are your gods who brought you out of Egypt.” And all the people of Israel, instead of worshiping the true God, began to worship idols.

The following kings of Israel were as wicked as Jeroboam. For this, the Lord punished the Israelites. The king of Assyria conquered the Kingdom of Israel, took many of its inhabitants into captivity, and settled pagans and Assyrians in their place. From the intermingling of these settlers with the remaining Israelites, a people arose who were called Samaritans after the city of Samaria. They spoke a mixed language, believed in the true God, but also retained some of their former pagan beliefs. For this, the Jews despised the Samaritans, would not sit at the same table with them, and tried not even to speak with them. The Kingdom of Israel was destroyed 722 years before the birth of Christ and was never restored.

The first kings of the Kingdom of Judah remained faithful to the true God. But later, the Judeans also turned to idolatry. Then the Kingdom of Judah was conquered by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar. The city of Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed, and the people were taken into captivity, which lasted for 70 years (3 Kings 12, 2 Chronicles 10).

The Prophets #

Prophets were holy men who, by divine inspiration, foretold the future. They taught the people true faith and performed many miracles. Among the prophets who lived in the Kingdom of Israel were Elijah, Elisha, and Jonah, while in the Kingdom of Judah, there were four great prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel, and twelve minor prophets.

The Prophet Elijah #

The prophet Elijah lived during the reign of the most wicked Israelite king, Ahab, who himself worshiped the idol Baal and forced the people to do the same. Ahab was married to Jezebel, the daughter of a pagan king (Sidonian). Elijah came to Ahab and, in the name of God, declared to him: “Because of your wickedness, there will be neither rain nor dew for these years, except by my word.” And so it happened. A terrible drought began; even the grass in the land of Israel withered, and a famine arose. During this time, Elijah lived in the wilderness by a brook, where ravens, by God’s command, brought him bread and meat.

After a year, the brook dried up, and Elijah went to the city of Zarephath. At the city gates, he met a poor widow who was gathering firewood and asked her for bread and water. The woman replied, “I have only a handful of flour and a little oil left; I will go and prepare it for myself and my son. We will eat this and then die.” Elijah said to her, “Do not fear! First, bake a small cake for me, and then for yourself and your son. For thus says the God of Israel: ‘The flour in the jar will not be used up, and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’” The woman believed and did as the prophet instructed. Indeed, neither the flour nor the oil ran out throughout the time of famine. Soon after, the widow’s son died, but Elijah prayed to God, and the boy was brought back to life.

The drought and famine lasted for three and a half years. The people began to repent. Then Elijah came to Ahab again and proposed to him and to all the people to prepare two sacrifices: one for the Lord and another for Baal, but without lighting any fire. The God who would send fire from heaven on the sacrifice would be the true God. The people agreed.

First, the priests of Baal prepared their sacrifice. They built an altar, placed a bull on it, and prayed to their god all day, shouting, “Baal, Baal, hear us!” But there was no answer. Then Elijah mocked them, saying, “Shout louder! Perhaps your god is busy or asleep.” Evening came, and Elijah prepared his altar, dug a trench around it, placed wood and the bull on it, and ordered that water be poured over the sacrifice until the trench was filled. Then Elijah prayed to the Lord, and immediately fire fell from heaven, consuming not only the wood and the sacrifice but also the water in the trench and the stones of the altar. The entire people, in fear, fell to the ground and exclaimed, “The God of Elijah is the true God.”

By God’s command, Elijah anointed his disciple Elisha as a prophet. One day, while they were walking together, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you.” Elisha replied, “Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit.” Elijah said, “You have asked a hard thing. If you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours.” They continued walking.

Suddenly, a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha cried out, “My father, my father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” At that moment, Elijah’s mantle fell to his feet, and with it, Elisha received a double portion of the prophetic spirit.

Naboth #

In the city of Jezreel, next to King Ahab, lived a man named Naboth. He had a fine old vineyard that the king admired, and Ahab wanted to buy it from Naboth. However, Naboth refused to sell his ancestral inheritance, as the law forbade such sales (Numbers 36:7). Ahab became upset. His wife Jezebel, acting in the king’s name, wrote a false accusation against Naboth, leading to his being slandered and stoned to death. His property, including the vineyard, was given to the king. When Ahab was in the vineyard, the prophet Elijah came to him and said, “As dogs have licked the blood of Naboth, so will they lick your blood and the blood of your wife and children.” Indeed, Ahab was wounded in battle, and as he was returning home, dogs licked his blood. His wife Jezebel was thrown from a window, trampled by horses, and her body was eaten by dogs, and soon after, their entire family line was wiped out.

The Prophet Elisha #

The prophet Elisha is particularly known for his miracles.

After Elijah was taken up to heaven, Elisha needed to cross the Jordan River. He struck the water with Elijah’s mantle, that is, his outer garment, and the water parted, allowing him to cross on dry ground.

Near the city of Bethel, children saw Elisha and began mocking him, shouting, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up!” Elisha knew that they would not become good people and said that they would be punished for their disrespect toward elders. Immediately, two bears came out of the forest and tore apart forty-two boys.

Once, a poor widow came to Elisha and said, “My husband has died and left a great debt. Now the creditor wants to take my two children as slaves to pay the debt.” Elisha asked, “What do you have in your house?” The woman replied, “I have nothing except one jar of oil.” Elisha instructed her to borrow as many empty vessels from her neighbors as she could and to pour oil into them. The woman did as she was told, and the oil kept flowing until all the vessels were full. She sold the oil and paid off the debt.

The commander of the Syrian king’s army, Naaman, was afflicted with leprosy, and no one could cure him of this disease. He traveled to see the prophet Elisha. Elisha sent a servant to tell Naaman to wash seven times in the Jordan River. Naaman did as the prophet instructed, and he was immediately healed. He returned to Elisha with rich gifts, but the prophet refused to accept anything. After Naaman left, Elisha’s servant Gehazi followed Naaman and asked for silver and clothing in the prophet’s name. Gehazi hid what he had received, but when he returned to Elisha, the prophet asked, “Where have you been, Gehazi?” Gehazi replied, “Your servant went nowhere.” Then Elisha rebuked him for lying and said, “Along with Naaman’s silver, may his disease also cling to you.” Gehazi left Elisha, covered in leprosy.

Even after his death, the prophet Elisha performed a miracle. Once, as people were carrying a dead man near the cave where Elisha was buried, they saw enemies approaching. In haste, they threw the body into the cave. As soon as the body touched the bones of Elisha, the dead man came back to life.

The Prophet Jonah #

The Lord sent the prophet Jonah to the Assyrian city of Nineveh to warn its inhabitants that God would destroy them if they did not repent and reform. However, Jonah did not want to go preach to the enemies of the Israelite people and boarded a ship headed elsewhere. Suddenly, a strong storm arose at sea. The sailors decided that someone on board must have angered God and cast lots to discover the culprit. The lot fell on Jonah, and he admitted, “Yes, I have sinned against the Lord! Throw me into the sea, and the storm will calm down.” When Jonah was thrown into the sea, a great fish (a whale) swallowed him by God’s command, and the prophet spent three days and three nights in the belly of the fish, praying for mercy. After three days, the whale spit Jonah out onto dry land, and Jonah went to Nineveh. For a whole day, he walked through the city, telling everyone, “In forty days, Nineveh will be destroyed.” The terrified inhabitants ceased all activities, declared a fast, and began to repent and pray. The Lord had mercy on the Ninevites. However, Jonah was displeased with this and asked God to let him die. The Lord taught him a lesson. Near the shelter Jonah had built for himself, a plant with large leaves miraculously grew overnight, providing him shade from the sun. But the next day, a worm attacked the plant, and it withered. Jonah felt pity for the plant because the sun scorched his head, but the Lord said to him, “You feel sorry for a plant you did not labor over. Should I not feel pity for Nineveh, a city with more than one hundred and twenty thousand children who cannot tell their right hand from their left?” From this, Jonah understood that the Lord had shown His patience and mercy to the repentant people and returned to his homeland. (Book of Jonah). Jonah’s three days in the belly of the whale prefigured Christ’s three days in the tomb and His glorious Resurrection.

Tobit and His Son Tobias #

When Shalmaneser, the king of Assyria, took the Israelites into captivity in Nineveh, one devout man stood out, Tobit (his wife was named Anna, and his son was Tobias). Tobit was wealthy, kind, and merciful: he helped everyone and buried the poor who had died. Once, during the Feast of Pentecost, he learned that a dead Israelite was lying in the street; Tobit went and buried him. The law stated that anyone who touched a dead body was considered unclean for the entire day and could not enter their home; thus, Tobit lay down to rest in the courtyard by the wall. Swallows nesting above left droppings that fell into his eyes, causing him to go blind. His affairs deteriorated, and he became poor. Then he remembered that a relative of his, Gabael, who lived in Media in the city of Rages, owed him a sum of money, for which he had a receipt. Tobit summoned his son Tobias and instructed him to go to collect the money. Tobias sought a traveling companion and met a young man dressed for a journey (his name was Azariah), who offered to accompany him there and back. Along the way, they stopped by the Tigris River, where a large fish came ashore. Tobias’ companion told him to catch it, remove its heart, liver, and gall, and keep them, while they cooked and ate the fish.

That evening, they arrived in the city of Ecbatana and stayed with Tobit’s relative, Raguel. Raguel had a daughter named Sarah, who had been betrothed to seven men, all of whom had died on the wedding day. Tobias’ companion advised him to marry Sarah but told him to burn the fish’s heart and liver in the wedding chamber to protect him from harm and pray to God throughout the night. Tobias did so and survived. Overjoyed, Raguel celebrated the wedding for two weeks. During this time, Tobias’ companion took the receipt to Rages, where Gabael gave him the money, and then returned to Nineveh with Tobias and Sarah. There, they used the fish’s gall to anoint Tobit’s eyes, restoring his sight. Tobit wanted to generously reward Tobias’ companion, but the companion revealed himself as the angel Raphael, sent by God to restore Tobit’s vision and unite his son with the virtuous Sarah. “Give thanks to God, who rewards the good and merciful,” the angel said, and then he disappeared. This is why it remains a pious Christian custom for young couples to pray to the angel Raphael before entering into a lawful marriage, asking for his guidance in arranging a blessed and happy union.

The Prophet Isaiah #

Isaiah was called to his prophetic ministry through a vision. He saw the Lord seated on a majestic throne, surrounded by six-winged seraphim who ceaselessly cried, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory.” One of the seraphim took a live coal from the heavenly altar, touched Isaiah’s lips with it, and said, “Your sins have been atoned for.” Then Isaiah heard the voice of the Lord, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Isaiah responded, “Here I am! Send me.” The Lord then commanded him to go and denounce the unbelief and sins of the Israelites.

The prophet Isaiah wrote a book in which he foretold the coming of Christ the Savior, declaring that He would be born of a virgin, perform many miracles, and suffer for our sins. For the clarity of his prophecies, Isaiah is often called the “Old Testament Evangelist.”

Among other prophets, Micah foretold that the Savior would be born in Bethlehem; Daniel predicted that the Savior would come to earth seventy “sevens” after the return of the Jews from Babylonian captivity, i.e., 490 years later; and Joel prophesied about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the apostles and all believers.

The Destruction of the Judean Kingdom During the Reign of King Zedekiah and the Fall of Jerusalem #

When the people of Judah had reached the height of their wickedness and corruption, the Lord became angry and allowed King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon to destroy the city of Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar ordered that the last king, Zedekiah, be blinded and taken into captivity, where he died in prison. The treasures of Solomon’s Temple, which was burned down, were taken to Babylon. The high priest and the leading nobles were killed, and the people were taken into Babylonian captivity. (4 Kings, Chapter 25).

The Prophet Daniel and the Three Youths #

Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon who had conquered the Kingdom of Judah, ordered that young men from noble Jewish families be taken to be raised at the royal court and taught various sciences, receiving food from the king’s table. Among these young men were Daniel and his friends, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael, whom the Babylonians called Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They refused to eat the king’s food in order to avoid breaking the dietary laws of Moses, and they requested that their caretaker give them only vegetables and water. The caretaker was hesitant, fearing they would grow weak and the king would punish him, but Daniel persuaded him to allow them to eat this way for ten days as a trial. After the ten days, Daniel and his friends were not only healthy, but looked better than those who ate the king’s food. After this, they were no longer forced to eat from the king’s table. For their strict observance of the law, God rewarded these youths with great wisdom. They proved to be wiser than the others and were given high positions at the royal court. Moreover, God granted Daniel the ability to interpret dreams and prophesy. (Daniel, Chapter 1).

Daniel Interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream #

One night, Nebuchadnezzar had a strange dream, but upon waking, he could not remember it. He summoned his wise men and magicians and commanded them to tell him both the dream and its interpretation. They could not do so and said, “There is no man on earth who can remind the king of his dream.” Nebuchadnezzar grew angry and decided to execute all the wise men, including Daniel and his friends. Daniel asked the king for some time (two days), and after fervent prayer, the Lord revealed the dream and its meaning to him. Daniel came to the king and said, “O king, when you went to sleep, you were thinking about what would come after you, and in your dream, you saw a statue. The head was made of gold, the chest and arms were of silver, the belly was of bronze, and the legs were partly iron and partly clay. Then a stone broke off from a mountain, struck the statue’s feet, and shattered it. The stone then grew into a great mountain and filled the whole earth.” The king remembered that this was indeed the dream he had seen. Daniel then explained the meaning of the dream: “The golden head represents your kingdom. After it, there will be three other kingdoms, but they will not be as glorious. The stone represents God’s eternal kingdom, which will be established after these four kingdoms.” The king bowed to Daniel and said, “Truly, your God is the God of gods,” and he made Daniel the chief ruler over the entire land. (Daniel, Chapter 2).

The Three Youths in the Fiery Furnace #

Nebuchadnezzar erected a large golden statue near Babylon (on the Plain of Dura) and assembled the people, declaring that when they heard the sound of the trumpet, they must fall down and worship the statue. Anyone who did not obey would be thrown into a fiery furnace. At the appointed signal, everyone fell to the ground except for the three youths, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael, who did not bow to the idol. The king was enraged and ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than usual and the youths to be thrown inside. The flames were so intense that the soldiers who threw them in were killed by the heat. However, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael remained unharmed because the Lord sent His angel to cool the flames, and the youths sang a beautiful hymn. Nebuchadnezzar, seated on a high throne opposite the furnace, suddenly became troubled, stood up, and said, “Did we not throw three men, bound, into the furnace? But I see four men walking unbound, and the fourth looks like the Son of God.” He approached the furnace and called for the youths to come out of the fire. When they came out, it was seen that neither their clothes nor their hair were singed, and there was no smell of smoke on them. Witnessing this, Nebuchadnezzar praised the true God and, under threat of death, forbade all his subjects from blaspheming His name. (Daniel, Chapter 3).

Daniel in the Lion’s Den #

After Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian kingdom was conquered by the Medes and Persians. The Median king, Darius, loved Daniel and made him the chief ruler in his kingdom.

However, the other nobles envied Daniel and sought to destroy him. Knowing that Daniel prayed to God three times a day with his window open toward Jerusalem, they approached the king and requested that he issue a decree that for thirty days, no one should pray to any god or man except the king. Anyone who violated this decree would be thrown into the lion’s den. The king agreed, but Daniel, despite the decree, continued to pray to God. His enemies reported this to the king. Darius realized that he had been deceived, but he could not revoke his decree and allowed Daniel to be thrown into the lion’s den.

The next morning, the king hurried to the den and called out, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you continually serve, been able to save you from the lions?” Daniel responded from the den, “O king, my God sent His angel to shut the lions’ mouths, for I was found innocent before Him.” The king then ordered Daniel to be lifted from the den, and his accusers were thrown in. Before they even reached the bottom, the lions seized and crushed them. (Daniel, Chapter 6).

The Return of the Jews from Babylonian Captivity and the Rebuilding of the Temple #

The Jews remained in captivity for seventy years. The Persian king, Cyrus, allowed them to return from Babylon to their homeland and rebuild the city and the temple. He even returned to the Jews all the vessels that Nebuchadnezzar had taken when Solomon’s temple was destroyed. The new temple was smaller and less magnificent than Solomon’s, but the prophet Haggai prophesied that its glory would be greater than that of the previous temple because the Savior of the world would come to this temple. During the building of the temple, the Jews faced many obstacles from the Samaritans, but the prophets Haggai and Zechariah encouraged them. The prophet Zechariah foretold Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem (Zechariah 9:9). During the priesthood of Ezra, who reminded the Jews of the law, the prophet Malachi foretold the coming of the forerunner of the Savior—John the Baptist (Malachi 3:1).

Esther #

After the decree of Cyrus, the king of Persia, not all the Jews returned from Babylonian captivity to their homeland. Some, due to their circumstances, remained in Persian territories. Among them was a righteous man named Mordecai. Living with him was his relative, an orphan girl named Esther. It so happened that Esther became the wife of the Persian king Ahasuerus (or Artaxerxes). Mordecai served at the royal court. Once, he uncovered a plot against the king’s life. The case was investigated, the conspirators were punished, and Mordecai’s service was recorded in the royal chronicle.

At this time, the king had a favored official named Haman, a proud man who enjoyed having everyone bow to him as if he were the king. Only Mordecai did not bow to him, which caused Haman to hate not only Mordecai but all the Jews living in the Persian kingdom. He persuaded the king to sign a decree ordering the destruction of all the Jews, presenting them as harmful people. When Mordecai learned of this, he urged Esther to go to the king and plead for mercy on behalf of the Jews. Esther was afraid to go because of the law that anyone who approached the king without being summoned would be put to death. However, after praying to God, she decided to risk it and appeared before the king. Initially, the king was angry, but then he softened and asked her what she wanted. She invited him and Haman to a banquet. The king agreed.

Haman was delighted with such an honor, but as he returned home and saw Mordecai, who still did not bow to him, he was greatly troubled. To comfort him, his wife advised him to ask the king for permission to hang Mordecai the next morning. Haman liked the idea and immediately ordered a gallows to be built in his courtyard.

That night, the king could not sleep and had the royal chronicle read to him. When they reached the part about the plot Mordecai had uncovered, the king asked, “How was Mordecai rewarded for this?” He was told, “He was not.” The king decided to reward Mordecai the next day. When Haman came in, the king asked him, “What should be done for a man whom the king wishes to honor?” Haman, thinking the reward was meant for himself, suggested, “Such a man should be dressed in royal robes, given the king’s crown, placed on the king’s horse, and led through the streets by the most prominent noble, who should proclaim, ‘This is how the king honors the man who pleases him!’” The king said, “Excellent! Go and do this for Mordecai.” Although it was humiliating for Haman, he had to carry out the king’s command.

That day, the king dined again with Esther and Haman. After the meal, the king asked Esther if she had any request. Esther revealed Haman’s hatred of all the Jews and his plan to hang Mordecai. The king immediately revoked the decree to destroy the Jews and ordered Haman to be hanged on the very gallows he had prepared for Mordecai, who was then appointed as the king’s chief advisor.

The Translation of the Sacred Books into Greek #

The Egyptian king Ptolemy Philadelphus wished to have the Hebrew Scriptures translated into Greek for his famous library in Alexandria. He requested the high priest of Jerusalem, Eleazar, to send learned men who knew both Hebrew and Greek. The high priest sent 72 men (including St. Simeon the God-Receiver), who were placed on the island of Pharos at the mouth of the Nile. There, they translated the sacred books from Hebrew into Greek.

This translation became known as the Septuagint (the translation of the seventy interpreters) and was later translated into other languages, including the Slavonic language used by our Church.

The Maccabean Brothers #

Though the Jews had returned from exile to their homeland, they remained under the rule of foreign nations. The Syrian king Antiochus Epiphanes, under whose authority the Jews were, wanted all his subjects to speak only Greek and worship the Greek gods. Many Jews obeyed the king, but others preferred death over abandoning their faith. One elderly man, Eleazar, was forced by the king’s envoys to publicly eat pork, which was forbidden by the Law of Moses. He refused. They tried to persuade him to merely pretend to eat the pork in front of the people, but Eleazar responded, “At my age, it is shameful to deceive. If the young see that ninety-year-old Eleazar has turned to paganism, they too may be led astray.” For this, the tormentors put him to death.

The king also brought before him a woman named Solomonia and her seven sons. He tried to persuade them to eat the pork, but they boldly said, “We would rather die than break the law of our fathers.” The king then subjected them to cruel tortures. Their tongues were cut out, their hands and feet were severed, their skin was flayed, and they were roasted alive on heated pans. Six of the brothers were thus tortured to death. The youngest brother was treated more kindly by the king, who promised him rewards and asked his mother to convince him to obey. However, the mother, Solomonia, approached her son and said, “My son, do not fear this tyrant. Face death as bravely as your brothers.” The youngest brother was then executed with even greater tortures, and afterward, the mother was also put to death.

At the time of the Savior’s coming into the world, the Jews were under Roman rule, which was the fourth great kingdom foretold by the prophet Daniel. The Romans appointed Herod the Idumean as king over the Jews, under whom Jesus Christ was born.

Thus, the prophecy of the patriarch Jacob was fulfilled—that the Savior of the world would appear when a foreigner, not from the tribe of Judah, would rule over the Jewish people.

The Universal Expectation of the Savior’s Coming #

Before the birth of Christ, there was a universal expectation among all peoples for the coming of the Savior.

The Jewish people, who were under Roman oppression, saw the fulfillment of the prophecy of the patriarch Jacob, for “the ruler had departed from Judah,” and the ruler of Judea was a foreigner. Other prophecies had also been fulfilled, indicating that the time for the coming of the promised Redeemer of the world had arrived. However, the majority of Jews were expecting the Messiah to be a great king and conqueror who would liberate them from foreign rule and bring all the nations of the earth under their dominion. Only a few chosen Jews correctly understood the promise of God and the prophecies concerning the Messiah. They awaited the Savior of the world, who would free them from sin and its sorrowful consequences for humanity.

The pagan nations, having turned away from the knowledge of the true God, suffered from disbelief, immorality, harsh slavery, and many other evils. Although vaguely, they too eagerly anticipated that their intolerably difficult spiritual and physical lives would change and that this change would come through the appearance of the Lord of the world—the Savior, of whom they had retained some memory from the traditions passed down from the ancient patriarchs and prophets.

The expectations of both the Jews and the pagans were indeed fulfilled.

When the Roman Empire was ruled by Caesar Augustus, and the Roman province of Judea was governed by Herod, in the small town of Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, the Savior of the world, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was born.

Religious Sects #

The Jews in Palestine were burdened by their subjugation to foreign rulers, and they imagined that the role of the Deliverer—the Messiah—was to free them from this subjugation and restore the independent Jewish kingdom. In recent times, they had been under the power of the mighty Roman emperors, so they envisioned the Messiah as an even more powerful conquering king who would not only restore the Jewish kingdom but also subdue the entire world to Jewish rule.

At that time, all Jews were awaiting such a Deliverer, the Messiah. However, there were two main sects among them: the Pharisees and the Sadducees. The Pharisees believed that the expected Messianic kingdom was meant exclusively for the Jews, and that all Jews would enter it simply because they were descendants of Abraham, to whom the kingdom (in their view) had been promised. Since this kingdom was guaranteed to the Jews, they thought there was no need to strictly observe the laws given by God through Moses, nor to care for the purity of the heart or abstain from sins. However, to appear righteous in the eyes of the common, law-ignorant people (and thus hold the best public offices), they made a great show of zeal in observing all the rituals established by Moses and sanctified by tradition. This desire to stand out and distinguish themselves outwardly from others earned them the name Pharisees, which comes from the word pharush, meaning separation or distinction.

The other sect, the Sadducees, named after the rabbi Zadok, believed that the human soul perishes with the body—that there is neither resurrection nor life after death, and consequently, no reward or punishment for one’s earthly life. They taught that everything on earth depends on the free will of man, and that one should regulate one’s actions solely based on personal gain. Zadok’s teacher, Antigonus, who lived 260 years before the birth of Christ, taught that a person is obliged to serve God and fulfill His will selflessly, without expecting a reward or fearing punishment after death. However, Zadok misunderstood this teaching and began to reject the concept of rewards and punishments, as he believed there was no life after death. The Sadducees were mostly comprised of the wealthiest Jews, and the high priests were often chosen from among them.

Another sect among the Jews was the Essenes. They avoided the noisy and vain life of the cities, abstained from all pleasures, led a strictly celibate life, and formed communities of hermits. They opposed slavery and war, spending their time in prayer and meditation on the law. They awaited the Messiah as the greatest of all ascetics. The Samaritan schism was a mixture of Judaism and paganism. The Samaritans accepted the Pentateuch of Moses, believed in the One God, and awaited the Messiah. They prayed on Mount Gerizim in their own temple, and their worship differed from that conducted in the temple in Jerusalem. The Jews despised the Samaritans and did not associate with them in any way.

Such was the state of the Jewish people when our Lord Jesus Christ was born.

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