Прежде чем приступить к историческим повествованиям Библии, скажем несколько слов о значении пророков в жизни еврейского народа. Хотя закон Моисея (Лев. 10, 1) обязывал священников учить народ благочестию, на практике это предписание редко исполнялось. Большинство священников ограничивалось принесением жертв в храме и не заботилось о просвещении народа. По этой причине народ оставался в духовном невежестве. Идолопоклонство соседних языческих народов и их грубые, безнравственные обычаи легко перенимались евреями и приводили к отступлению от веры в Бога. Еврейские цари и правители, за малыми исключениями, часто сами подавали дурной пример. Чтобы наставить народ в истинной вере, Бог часто ему посылал Своих пророков. Пророки имели огромное влияние на веру народа и нередко спасали евреев от духовной катастрофы. В то время как священство у евреев передавалось по наследству, к пророческому служению люди призывались Богом индивидуально. Пророки происходили из всех слоев населения были среди них малограмотные крестьяне и пастухи, были и лица царского рода и большого образования. Главной задачей пророков было указать людям на их религиозные и нравственные нарушения и восстановить благочестие. Уча людей вере, пророки нередко предсказывали будущее, относящееся к народно-государственным событиям или к грядущему Спасителю мира Мессии и к концу мира. Нередко пророки привлекали к себе значительное количество постоянных почитателей и учеников. Эти постоянные ученики объединялись в братства или школы пророков (сонмы) и помогали пророкам в их духовной работе. Особенное развитие пророческие братства получили со времени пророка Самуила, давшего им стройную организацию, сделав их источником духовно-нравственного возрождения народа. Таким образом, пророки были духовными руководителями ("старцами") своих братств. Члены братств жили общинами с установленной дисциплиной и порядком. Там они изучали Писание, молились Богу, переписывали книги, вели летописи, которые послужили материалом для составления исторических книг Библии. Случалось, что более даровитые воспитанники пророческих братств, призывались Богом к пророческому служению и продолжали дело своего учителя-пророка. Из пророческих общин вышли бесстрашные обличители идолопоклонства, непреклонные хранители и распространители веры в Бога, закаленные мужи, не боявшиеся говорить царям и сильным мира сего правду в лицо. Поэтому нередко пророки подвергались преследованию и заканчивали жизнь мученической смертью. Со времен Самуила пророки идут непрерывной чередой через всю ветхозаветную историю. Большого развития пророчество достигло во времена пророков Илии и Елисея, а позже во времена Исаии, Иеремии и Даниила.

Книга Иисуса Навина

Моисеевы книги (Исход, Числа и Второзаконие) заканчивают свое повествование концом сорокалетнего странствования евреев по пустыне Синайского полуострова. В пустыне еврейский народ духовно обновился и окреп в вере в Бога. Пришло время евреям наследовать землю, обещанную Богом их праведным предкам Аврааму, Исааку и Иакову. Книга Иисуса Навина повествует о том, как евреи под предводительством Иисуса Навина, ученика Моисея, завоевали обетованную землю. До этого времени обетованную землю населяли хананеи, потомки Хама, почему и земля их называлась землей Ханаанской. В Книге Иисуса Навина ярко выявляется постоянная помощь Божия еврейскому народу в овладении обетованной землей. Эта помощь иногда обнаруживалась явными чудесами. Например, когда в самом начале завоевания евреям предстояло перейти реку Иордан, вода остановилась, и евреи прошли по сухому дну (Нав. 3 гл.). Потом при покорении пограничного хананейского города Иерихона, после его обхода еврейским народом и возглашения священных труб, стены города пали (Нав. 6 гл.). Между прочим, на месте древнего Иерихона сейчас ведутся интересные археологические раскопки, которые проливают свет на древние исторические события, описанные в Книге Иисуса Навина. Помощь Божия в покорении Ханаанской земли обнаружилась и в "остановлении солнца" во время битвы при Гаваоне (Нав. 10 гл.) После завоевания обетованная земля была поделена между двенадцатью еврейскими "коленами" или племенами. Колено Иуды населило южную часть Святой Земли. Только колено Левия не получило своего земельного удела, так как потомки Левия должны были нести священнические обязанности для жителей всей страны. Зато левиты получили во владение некоторые города, разбросанные в разных частях Обетованной Земли.

После смерти Иисуса Навина в жизни еврейского народа начинается период так называемых "судей". Этим именем назывались временные вожди-правители, которых Бог выдвигал из среды евреев, чтобы спасти еврейский народ от соседей-притеснителей. Четырехсотлетний период, когда евреи жили племенами, не имея постоянных правителей, описан в Книге Судей.

Книга Судей

Эта книга заключает в себе историю избранного народа от смерти Иисуса Навина до судии Самсона (14251150 гг. до Р.Х.). Поселившись в земле хананеев, евреи начали с ними сближаться, вступать в родство и перенимать от них идолопоклонство и гнусные языческие обычаи. За эти грехи Бог наказывал евреев. Он попускал соседним иноплеменникам аммонитянам, филистимлянам, моавитянам и другим порабощать и угнетать евреев. Истомленные гнетом врагов, израильтяне каялись и обращались к Богу. Тогда Он, умилосердившись, посылал евреям Своих избранников в лице "судей". Судьи организовывали войско и с помощью Божией прогоняли притеснителей. Через некоторое время израильтяне опять забывали Бога, начинали служить идолам и грешить и снова подпадали под иноземное иго. После этого они вновь каялись, и снова Бог им посылал избавителя-судью. Так шесть раз Израиль подпадал под иго иноплеменников и шесть раз Бог избавлял его через судей. В Книге Судей ярко выявляется тот факт, что за отступлением от Закона Божия следует порабощение, а за покаянием избавление. При этом помощь Божия приходит чудесным образом: здесь количество воинов, оружия и другие военные преимущества не имеют значения для исхода событий. Деятельность судии Гедеона ярко иллюстрирует эту истину. Он с 300 воинами наголову разбил большое мадианитянское войско и сверг их тяжелое иго (Суд. 67 гл.). Замечательна также жизнь Самсона. Получив от Бога необыкновенную физическую силу, он несколько раз наносил чувствительные поражения филистимлянам, которые в то время притесняли евреев (Суд. 1316 гл.). Его полная приключений жизнь, женитьба на коварной Далиле и героическая смерть в плену послужили темой для некоторых современных художественных произведений.

Книги Царств

The next books of the Bible, the so-called Books of Kings and Chronicles, narrate the events of the monarchical period of the Jewish people. After Samson, the judge was the prophet Samuel. Under him, the Israelite tribes decided to unite into one state under the scepter of the king. Samuel anointed Saul king over Israel. After Saul, David reigned first, then his son Solomon. Under Solomon's son, Raboam, the united kingdom was divided into two: Judah in the south, and Israel in the north of the Holy Land. The books of Samuel describe a period of five hundred years: from the birth of Samuel (1100 years B.C.) until the release of the Judean king Jeconiah from prison (in 567 B.C.). In the Hebrew Bible, the Book of Kings is divided into two parts called Sepher Shemuel (Book of Samuel) and Sepher Melachim (Book of Kings). In the Bible of the Seventy Interpreters (Greek translation), as well as in the Russian Bible, the book of Sepher Shemuel is divided into two parts, which are called the First and Second Books of Kings. The book of Sefer Melachim is also divided into two parts, which are called the Third and Second Books of Kings. According to tradition, the writer of the first part of the First Book of Samuel was the prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 125), the authors of the end of the First Book (1 Samuel 2631) and the entire Second Book of Samuel were the prophets Nathan and Gad. The Third and Second Books of Kings were written by several prophetic chroniclers. The books of Chronicles partially repeat and partially supplement the books of Kings. In the Hebrew Bible, they make up one book, which is called the Decrenacle. Seventy interpreters called this book "Chronicles", i.e. "on the omitted" and divided it into two books.

The First Book of Samuel begins its narrative with the birth of Samuel. Pious, but childless, Anna prayed to God for a son. She named him Samuel and, according to her vow, dedicated him to the service of God under the high priest Elijah. Anna's hymn of praise on the occasion of the birth of her son (1 Samuel 2) formed the basis of some of the irmoi of the canons sung at all-night vigils. In the life of the prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 14) there are many interesting and instructive things, for example, about the importance of raising children (after all, the family of the good but weak-willed high priest Elijah was rejected by God for the iniquities of his children). When Samuel grew old, he resigned from the title of judge and anointed Saul of the tribe of Benjamin as king (1 Samuel 512). Further, the book of Kings tells about the reign of Saul. At first, Saul was obedient to God, but then he became proud and began to disregard the will of God. For this reason, Samuel, by God's direction, anointed the Bethlehem lad David from the tribe of Judah as king over Israel (1 Sam. 1316). At that time, the war between the Jews and the Philistines began, and young David, with God's help, defeated the Philistine giant Goliath (1 Samuel 17). Goliath's defeat brought the Jews victory over the Philistines and glory to David, which in turn aroused Saul's jealousy. After that, Saul pursued David for the rest of his days, trying to kill him (1 Sam. 1824). The First Book of Samuel ends with Saul's visit to the Sorceress of Endor, an unsuccessful war with the Philistines and the death of Saul (1 Samuel 2531). David recorded his sorrows because of the unjust persecution of Saul in his psalms.

The book of 2 Samuel tells about the forty-year reign of David. The first years of David's reign were very successful because God helped him in everything. David took away the Jebusite fortress of Jerusalem, making it his capital city. Here he moved the Ark of the Covenant and wanted to build the first temple instead of the portable tabernacle (tent temple). But the Lord through the prophet informed David that the temple would be built by his son (2 Samuel 110). The second half of David's reign was overshadowed by his fall into sin with the married Bathsheba and the subsequent family and state upheavals. In particular, much sorrow was brought to David by the rebellion of his son Absalom and the outbreak of internecine war (2 Sam. 1124). David bitterly lamented his sin of adultery in his penitential 50th Psalm. For a Christian, there are many instructive things in the life of King David: his deep faith in God, his unshakable hope for His help, compassion for the weak and offended, the ability to see his shortcomings, repent and correct them. The apostles speak of David with great respect. The Holy Fathers of the Church in their teachings often cited examples from the life of King David. His inspired psalms are an immortal monument of religious poetry and formed the basis of divine services. In the Second Book of Kings there is a prophecy about the eternal kingdom of the Messiah Christ. This prophecy was given to David through the prophet Nathan (cf. 2 Samuel 7:1216; cf. 2 Samuel 7:1216; cf. 2 Samuel 7:1216). Mf. 22, 42; Lux. 1, 3233).

The third book of Kings describes the reign of Solomon, whom God endowed with great wisdom for his faith and modesty. Solomon built a temple in Jerusalem, which in beauty and wealth surpassed all the palaces and pagan temples of his time. Under Solomon, Israel reached the height of its prosperity and glory (1 Kings 1:10). 111. However, heavy taxes and heavy construction work placed a heavy burden on the people and caused discontent. Solomon darkened his glory as a wise ruler by polygamy and the admission of pagan temples near Jerusalem. Dissatisfaction with Solomon led to the fact that after his death, under Rehoboam (1 Kings 1:10). 12), the kingdom of Israel was divided into two: the kingdom of Judah, with kings from the line of David and its capital in Jerusalem, and the kingdom of Israel, which had kings of various dynasties, with the capital city of Samaria (980 years B.C.).

After Rehoboam, the Third Book and the Second Book of Kings tell in parallel about events in the kingdoms of Judah and Israel: the deeds of the kings, the exploits of the prophets, wars and the religious state in these kingdoms. The kings of Israel, fearing that their subjects, visiting the Temple in Jerusalem, would wish to return under the scepter of the king of Judah, began to build pagan temples in various parts of Israel and incline the people to worship idols. Their policies contributed to the apostasy of the people of Israel from God. At this time of decline for religion, God sent Israel some remarkable prophets who delayed the process of spiritual decay. Among these messengers of God, two prophets Elijah and his disciple Elisha stand out in particular. The Prophet Elijah (900 B.C.) was one of the most ardent champions of the true faith and piety (1 Kings 1721). Grieving over the spiritual destruction of his people, Elijah was resolute and tough in punishing the wicked. Elijah was called to the prophetic ministry by God under the impious Israeli king Ahab. The bloodthirsty wife of Ahab, the daughter of the Sidonian priest Jezebel, killed many Jewish prophets and filled Israel with priests, servants of Baal. In order to bring Ahab and the people of Israel to their senses, Elijah struck the land with a three-year drought. He himself hid at the brook of Chorath, where a raven brought him food every day. When the stream dried up, Elijah moved to the widow of Zarephath, who, through the prayer of the prophet, did not run out of flour and oil in her vessels for two years. When the widow's only son died, Elijah raised him from the dead by prayer. At the end of a three-year drought, Elijah gathered the King, pagan priests, and the people of Israel to Mount Carmel. Here, through the prayer of Elijah, fire in the form of lightning fell from heaven and burned up the sacrifice made by Elijah and everything around it in front of everyone. Seeing such an amazing miracle, the people believed in God and immediately repented of idolatry with tears. The priests of Baal who came to the mountain were captured and destroyed. After that, the long-awaited rain fell, the hunger stopped. For his holy life and for his ardent love for God, the Prophet Elijah was taken alive to heaven in a fiery chariot.

The Second Book of Kings begins with an event that tells about the assumption of Elijah into heaven. The prophet Elisha was a disciple of Elijah and at the time of his ascension to heaven received his cloak and prophetic gift. Elisha labored for more than 65 years, under six Israelite kings (from Ahaz to Jehoash). He fearlessly spoke the truth to the impious kings, denouncing their impiety. He was deeply revered by the people of Israel, distinguished by strength of spirit, firm faith and perspicacity. By his time, the prophetic brotherhoods in the kingdom of Israel reached their highest development. His most glorious miracles include the resurrection of a young man, the transformation of the water of the Jericho spring from salt to fresh, and the healing of the Syrian commander Naaman from leprosy. In addition, with his sagacity and wise advice, the prophet Elisha brought victory to the kings of Israel many times. Elisha died in extreme old age in Samaria under King Joash (4 Kings 210). The Lord Jesus Christ mentioned the prophets Elijah and Elisha several times in His teachings. Every believer should get acquainted with their lives and deeds. Despite the efforts of the prophets Elijah, Elisha, and others, idolatry and vile pagan practices eventually undermined the spiritual foundation of the Israelite people. For the sin of apostasy, God allowed the destruction of the kingdom of Israel. After several defeats by the Assyrian forces in 722 BC. The kingdom of Israel fell (4 Kings 17). After that, many Israelites were resettled in Assyria, and some of the Assyrians were resettled in Israel. From the Israelites, who mixed with the Assyrians, the Samaritans were formed. The rest of the narrative of the Second Book of Kings focuses on the Kingdom of Judah. Of the kings of Judah, the pious Hezekiah should be mentioned. When Hezekiah ascended the throne after the death of his wicked father, he set out to bring the weakened Judah back to order. First of all, his eyes were fixed on the internal state of the country: religion had by that time weakened. Under the influence of their pagan neighbors, the Jews gradually began to forget the true God, and they began to erect altars to the pagan gods, sometimes next to the temple. Hezekiah went out boldly, destroying the temples of idols, cutting down pagan oak groves and everything that reminded the people of idols. By these measures he restored the true faith among the Jews. Of the events of his reign, the most remarkable is the miraculous defeat by an angel of the 185,000-strong Assyrian army, which besieged Jerusalem under the leadership of Sennacherib (2 Kings 18). Also instructive is the story of the miraculous healing of Hezekiah, who was to die, but was pardoned by God for his faith and good works. Hezekiah left behind a bright memory among the people on a par with the pious kings David and Josiah (2 Kings 2223). Under Hezekiah there lived the prophet Isaiah, one of the greatest prophets of all time. Being a deeply educated man and poet, the prophet Isaiah wrote a remarkable book, replete with predictions about the Messiah and his grace-filled Kingdom. Isaiah is called the Old Testament evangelist. King Hezekiah's successors encouraged idolatry. Under them, the prophets were persecuted and killed. For example, during the reign of Hezekiah's son, King Manasseh, the elderly prophet Isaiah was sawed with a wooden saw. The prophet Jeremiah also suffered much. The kingdom of Judah, like the kingdom of Israel, was filled with iniquity. Despite its alliance with the Egyptians, the kingdom of Judah finally fell after several defeats at the hands of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar. The magnificent temple and the city of Jerusalem were razed to the ground. Many inhabitants were killed or taken captive to Babylon (586 B.C., see 2 Kings 1925). The Babylonian captivity lasted 70 years (beginning with the first captivity in 605 AD). B.C.). It ended in the third year after the conquest of the Babylonian Empire by the Persian king Cyrus (539 BC). Spiritual support for the Jewish captives was provided by the prophets Ezekiel and Daniel (see Ezekiel and Daniel). Table 1).

From the narratives of the Books of Kings, a general and immutable spiritual law clearly follows: faith in God and piety prolong the prosperity of the country, and impiety leads to inevitable destruction. Military force, skillful diplomacy, and other external advantages are only of secondary importance to the well-being of a country in the history of many nations.