Since the Old Testament is the foundation of the New Testament, understanding the OT is crucial. In this second installment of the Made Simple Series, Doc Smith has given us a quick and easy guide to the Old Testament.

The structure of the chapters in this book is derived from the account of the call of Samuel. The Lord called to Samuel three times in the night. . . . Eli instructed Samuel to respond with these words: Speak, LORD, for your servant hears (1 Sam 3:9).

The letters of the word SPEAKS are use to outline the discussion of each Old Testament Book.

S=Situation–the background of the book is set forth.
P=Plan–book organization is discussed.
E=Eternal Purpose–the immediate and ultimate purposes for each book are set forth.
A=Anticipation=how does the book anticipate the coming of Christ?
K=Keys–the key chapter, verse, phrases, and words in the book are identified.
S=Special Features–this suggests a list of oddities, peculiarities, or facts that point to the uniqueness of each book.