By Mike Riley

From time to time a short refresher course is needed to refresh our memory (2 Peter 1:12) regarding key words, key verses, key phrases and key messages contained within the books of the Old Testament. With this in mind, the following are “keynotes” of the books of the Old Testament:

Book – Jonah
Key Words – “Repentance” (Jonah 3:1-10).
Key Verses – Jonah 2:7; Jonah 2:8-9; Jonah 4:2
Key Phrase – “Let them turn everyone from his evil way” (Jonah 3:8).
Messages – (1) God’s universal, forgiving love for all men; (2) God’s concern for the salvation of all mankind, both Jews and Gentiles. God wants all men to repent and be saved (1 Timothy 2:3-4).
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By Mike Riley

From time to time a short refresher course is needed to refresh our memory (2 Peter 1:12) regarding key words, key verses, key phrases and key messages contained within the books of the Old Testament. With this in mind, the following are “keynotes” of the books of the Old Testament:

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Book – Lamentations
Key Words – “Sorrow” (Lamentations 1:12) and “how” (Lamentations 1:1; Lamentations 2:1; Lamentations 4:1).
Key Verses – Lamentations 1:12; Lamentations 2:5-6; Lamentations 2:17; Lamentations 3:25; Lamentations 3:33; Lamentations 3:40
Key Phrase – “Renew our days as of old” (Lamentations 5:21).
Messages – (1) Sin brings misery and judgment; (2) God still loves sinners, even when He must punish them, and He will show compassion upon all who repent.
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Book – Ezekiel
Key Words – “Glory”
Key Verses – Ezekiel 18:4; Ezekiel 18:20; Ezekiel 33:11; Ezekiel 36:24-26; Ezekiel 36:33-35
Key Phrase – (1) “They shall know that I am the Lord” (Ezekiel 6:10; Ezekiel 6:14; Ezekiel 7:27; Ezekiel 12:15; Ezekiel 12:16); (2) “The glory of the Lord” (Ezekiel 1:28; Ezekiel 3:12; Ezekiel 3:23; Ezekiel 10:4; Ezekiel 10:18; Ezekiel 11:23; Ezekiel 43:4).
Messages – (1) The terrible nature of sin. It destroys both men and nations; (2) Individual responsibility (Ezekiel 18:20). Men suffer for their own sins (Ezekiel 18:1-4; Ezekiel 33:10-16); (3) The necessity of repentance in obtaining forgiveness of sins (Ezekiel 14:1-20; Ezekiel 18:20-32; Ezekiel 33:1-22).
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Book – Daniel
Key Words – “Dominion”, “sovereignty”, and “triumph”
Key Verses – Daniel 2:20-22; Daniel 2:44; Daniel 2:47; Daniel 4:24-25; Daniel 4:37; Daniel 6:26
Key Phrase – “The Most High ruleth” (Daniel 4:17; Daniel 4:25; Daniel 4:32).
Messages – The universal sovereignty of God over the affairs of men and nations.
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Book – Hosea
Key Words – “Return” (Hosea 2:7; Hosea 2:9; Hosea 3:5; Hosea 5:15; Hosea 6:1).
Key Verses – Hosea 4:1; Hosea 4:6; Hosea 11:7-9
Key Phrase – “I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love” (Hosea 11:4).
Messages – (1) To realize the nature and enormity of sin; (2) the necessity of divine judgment; (3) the triumph of loyalty and love.
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Book – Joel
Key Words – “Desolate” or “desolation”
Key Verses – Joel 2:11-13; Joel 2:28-29; Joel 2:32
Key Phrase – “The day of the Lord” (Joel 1:15; Joel 2:1; Joel 2:11; Joel 2:31; Joel 3:14).
Messages – A call to repentance and restoration.
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Book – Amos
Key Words – “Judgment”, “punishment”, “captivity”, and “restoration”
Key Verses – Amos 3:1-2; Amos 3:3; Amos 4:12; Amos 5:14-15; Amos 6:1; Amos 8:11-12
Key Phrase – (1)“Thus saith the Lord”; (2) “Seek ye the Lord.”
Messages – (1) There is no possible way to escape the consequences of persistent sin; (2) Worship without truth and religion without morality are an insult to God.
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Book – Obadiah
Key Words – “Calamity”
Key Verses – Obadiah 1:10; Obadiah 1:15; Obadiah 1:21
Key Phrase – “Thou shouldest not have” (Obadiah 1:12-14).
Messages – (1) The folly of pride, self-trust, and of the certainty of divine judgment; (2) God’s judgments are right and His providence is over all nations and men.
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By Mike Riley

From time to time a short refresher course is needed to refresh our memory (2 Peter 1:12) regarding key words, key verses, key phrases and key messages contained within the books of the Old Testament. With this in mind, the following are “keynotes” of the books of the Old Testament:

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Book – Job
Key Words – “Suffering”, “trials”, “tested”, “patience”, “trust”, “God’s sovereignty”
Key Verses – Job 13:15; Job 23:10; Job 28:28; Job 37:23-24
Key Phrase – “For I know that my redeemer lives” (Job 19:25).
Messages – We must patiently endure the trials of life, with unswerving trust in God.
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Book – Psalms
Key Words – “Worship”, “praise”, and “prayer”
Key Verses – Psalm 1:1-2; Psalm 8:1-4; Psalm 19:1; Psalm 19:14; Psalm 90:1-2
Key Phrase – “For the Lord is good” (Psalm 100:5).
Messages – The majesty of God, the grandeur of His works, and the greatness of His word (Psalm 19; Psalm 33; Psalm 119).
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Book – Proverbs
Key Words – “Wisdom”
Key Verses – Proverbs 1:5-7; Proverbs 3:5-6
Key Phrase – “The fear of the Lord.”
Messages – “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

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Book – Ecclesiastes
Key Words – “Vanity” and “under the sun”
Key Verses – Ecclesiastes 2:24; Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
Key Phrase – “Vanity of vanities; all is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 1:2; Ecclesiastes 12:8).
Messages – (1) Genuine happiness is not found in human wisdom, wealth, power, and pleasure; (2) Apart from God, life is futile, empty, and without meaning; (3) the supreme good is to “fear God and keep his commandments” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
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Book – Song of Solomon
Key Words – “Love”, or “beloved”
Key Verses – Song of Solomon 2:16; Song of Solomon 7:10; Song of Solomon 8:6-7
Key Phrase – “His banner over me was love” (Song of Solomon 2:4).
Messages – The beauty, happiness and power of faithful love.
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Book – Isaiah
Key Words – “Salvation”
Key Verses – Isaiah 1:18; Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 9:6-7; Isaiah 53:6
Key Phrase – “Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 1:4; Isaiah 5:19; Isaiah 5:24; Isaiah 10:20).
Messages – (1) God’s judgment upon immoral and idolatrous men; (2) the grace of God in the promise of the Redeemer.
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Book – Jeremiah
Key Words – “Forsake” and “forsaken”; “backslider” and “backsliding”; “return”.
Key Verses – Jeremiah 3:11-12; Jeremiah 3:25; Jeremiah 5:30-31; Jeremiah 6:13-16; Jeremiah 7:23-24; Jeremiah 7:28; Jeremiah 8:20-22; Jeremiah 9:23-24; Jeremiah 10:23; Jeremiah 13:23; Jeremiah 23:1-8; Jeremiah 31:3; Jeremiah 31:31-34
Key Phrase – (1) “The Lord said”; (2) “I have put my words in thy mouth” (Jeremiah 1:9; Jeremiah 18:2, etc.).
Messages – God gives Jeremiah four messages to Judah (1) a note of denunciation; (2) a note of visitation; (3) a note of invitation; (4) a note of consolation. Judah will be restored from Babylonian captivity.
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By Mike Riley

From time to time a short refresher course is needed to refresh our memory (2 Peter 1:12) regarding key words, key verses, key phrases and key messages contained within the books of the Old Testament. With this in mind, the following are “keynotes” of the books of the Old Testament: