Knowing the Bible 101

Chapter 5: The Books of Generals, Judges, and Kings: War and Peace

Bible 9 – October 21, 2013

Joshua 24:14

•Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.

______ 24:14

• ___ fear the _____  and _____ him with all ___________. Throw away the ____ your ancestors _________ beyond the Euphrates _____ and in _____, and _____ the LORD.

______ 24:___

• ___ ____ the _____  and _____ him ____ all ___________. ______ away the ____ your ________ _________ beyond the _________ _____ and __ _____, and _____ the _____.

¿¡¡¿Geography in BIBLE?!!?

Bible History 101 & 201

• Bible History 101: Genesis – Deuteronomy

• Abraham – Moses: Approximately 700 years

• Bible History 201: 12 Old Testament History Books

• From 1400 BC-425 BC – Almost 1000 years

• It starts with the Jewish nation about to cross the Jordan River into Canaan, the Promised Land, led by Joshua.

KEY TO REMEMBER (for life…not everything is about the quiz

)• We must keep everything we read in this context. The whole

Bible is the story of God’s plan of salvation for fallen man. But God has dealt with people in different ways throughout history.

• In other words, although God does not change, His methods do.

• Why do you think it is true that God does not change but his methods do? Examples?

Conquer and Divide (Joshua)

• The key to success in life is to obey God by obeying His Word.

• This book shows the benefits of obedience and the consequences of disobedience to God.

• Discussion Question: “What does it mean to honor the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly”? What does/should that look like in our lives?

• God told Joshua that he would be successful in everything he did as long as he did one thing—study God’s Word. (What was God’s Word back then?)

Quick Quiz (open book)

NOT ON QUIZ ON FRIDAY (see page 122-123)1. Who are the enemies of Judah? 2. List the tribes of Israel and the tribes of Judah.3. What is the capital of Israel (Northern Kingdom)? 4. What is the capital of Judah (Southern Kingdom)? 5. Who took Israel captive? 6. Who took Judah captive?

Quick Quiz

1. Who are the enemies of Judah? Philistines2. List the tribes of Israel: Manasseh, Gad, Ephraim, Dan, Issachar,

Zebulun, Asher, Naphtali and the tribes of Judah: Benjamin, Reuben, Judah, Simeon

3. What is the capital of Israel (Northern Kingdom)? Samaria4. What is the capital of Judah (Southern Kingdom)? Jerusalem5. Who took Israel captive? Assyria6. Who took Judah captive? Babylon

Journal Question (for HW tonight)

Journal # 5:

Read Joshua 1:7-8. How consistent are you in following the advice of these verses? How can knowing Scripture make you strong and courageous? (p. 139 #2)

Conquer and Divide (Joshua) Cont’d

• Highlights from action-packed book:

• God tells Joshua how to succeed.

• Joshua tells the people how to succeed.

• Disobedience affects everyone.

• Joshua conquers the land.

Tuesday:Joshua 24:14

•Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.

______ 24:14

• ___ fear the _____  and _____ him with all ___________. Throw away the ____ your ancestors _________ beyond the Euphrates _____ and in _____, and _____ the LORD.

______ 24:___

• ___ ____ the _____  and _____ him ____ all ___________. ______ away the ____ your ________ _________ beyond the _________ _____ and __ _____, and _____ the _____.

The Human Sin Cycle (Judges)

The Human Sin Cycle (Judges) Cont’d

• Here Come the Judges

• God sent a series of “judges” or “deliverers” to lead the people out of their sin and back to God.

• Samson, among countless others illustrated the cycle of sin.

• So How do You Get Out of the Sin Cycle?

• Only Jesus in you has the power to resist temptation and do the right thing.

• Do what is right in God’s eyes, not your own.

Love in a Dark Time (Ruth)

• The Book of Ruth demonstrates that it is possible to live by godly principles in a society that does just the opposite.

• God has called US to live at a higher standard. His standard.

• God honored Ruth for her loyalty, and He honored Boaz for his faithfulness. The are both ancestors of Jesus.

See Matthew 1:5-6 (discuss particular significance of Matthew mentioning both Rahab and Ruth in the lineage of Christ).

A Heart for God (1 and 2 Samuel)

• Samuel served as a bridge between the judges and the kings.

• God Looks on the Inside

• Israel cried out for a king to help them overcome the Philistines.

• Although the people of Israel already had God, the greatest King of all, they refused to serve Him. Enter, King Saul (appointed by God; anointed by Samuel).

A Heart for God (1 and 2 Samuel)

• When Saul turned against God and his own people, God stepped in and asked Samuel to find and anoint David, who was God’s choice.

• David is called “the man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14).• He united all the tribes under one monarchy.

• Established capital at Jerusalem.

• Defeated Israel’s enemies.

• Expanded the nation’s region of influence from Egypt in the south to Syria in the north.

• Founded a royal family line into which Jesus was born.

Journal Question (for HW tonight)

Journal #6:

What is a person “after God’s own heart”? How can you know the heart of God? How do you follow after it? (p. 139 #6)

Thursday:Memory Verse Quiz

•One a half sheet of paper, write out your memory verse for this week.

14 When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, “Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,” 15 be sure to appoint over you a king the LORD your

God chooses. He must be from among your fellow Israelites. Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not an Israelite.16 The king, moreover, must not acquire great

numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the LORD has told you, “You

are not to go back that way again.” 17 He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not

accumulate large amounts of silver and gold.18 When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to

write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law… 19 It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that

he may learn to revere the LORD his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees 20 and not consider himself better than his fellow Israelites and

turn from the law to the right or to the left. Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in

Israel.

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God’s design for a King1. He must be from among your fellow Israelites. Not a foreigner2. He must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself 3. He must not make the people return to Egypt to get more things.4. He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. 5. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold.6. He is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law and read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the LORD his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees7. He is not consider himself better than his fellow Israelites.

Read 1 Kings 10:14-29How does Solomon measure up?1. He must be from among your fellow Israelites. Not a foreigner2. He must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself 3. He must not make the people return to Egypt to get more things.4. He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. 5. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold.6. He is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law and read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the LORD his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees7. He is not consider himself better than his fellow Israelites.

Most famous King of Israel.

Heart never turned from the God he loved.

Served the Lord, always coming back to Him after he sinned.

God preserved David’s kingdom.

Richest and wisest man who ever lived.

Built the temple for God.

Refused to follow the Lord completely.

Turned away from God.

His kingdom broke apart as a result.

Kings of Israel

Sinned greatly against God

From Glory to Captivity (1 and 2 Kings)

• God Doesn’t Like second Place

• Just as He promised He would do if Solomon and his descendants abandoned him, God uprooted the nation (1 Kings 9:6-7).

• Israel (north) had 10 tribes.

• Judah (south) had 2 tribes.

• Each was ruled by a succession of kings—some good, but most as wicked or more wicked than the people.

From Glory to Captivity (1 and 2 Kings) Cont’d

• Eventually Israel was taken into captivity by the Assyrians in 722 B.C., and Judah by the Babylonians and King Nebuchadnezzar in 586 B.C.

• Even though His people continued to be disobedient, God continued to show mercy (Not what many see when they pick and choose certain passages from Scripture. THIS is why context is so important)!

• He sent a succession of prophets to warn the people and to call them back to right living.

More than Genealogies (1 and 2 Chronicles)

• These two books cover the same historical period as 1 and 2 Kings.

• They contain more genealogies than any other book in the Bible.

• Not always fun to read, but important…WHY? Set a timeline for God’s chosen people.

• Contains some very powerful verses. Ex: 2 Chronicles 7:14

• Main purpose of these history books, was to try to face up to some very painful national questions:

• What happened?

• Where did we go wrong?

• Will God ever bless us again?

Israel Returns (Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther)

• Focus: Getting the Jews out of exile from their Babylonian captivity.

• Tell the story of Israel’s rebuilding process, both physically and spiritually.

• The king of Persia, Cyrus, allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem.

• Not many Jews wished to return to their own country, which was 900 miles away. Most were catch up in the pagan culture, which was pretty comfortable for them. (Easy to point the finger, but can we relate at times?)

• Those Israelites who decided to return (called the “remnant”) faced the difficult task of restoring the destroyed city of Jerusalem as well as restoring their relationship with God.

Rebuilding and Protection

• Structural Rebuilding: Only about 50,000 of the 2-3 million Jews returned to Jerusalem. They rebuilt and dedicated the new temple.

• Spiritual Rebuilding: Ezra led 2000 more (mostly priests) from Persia back to Jerusalem 58 years later.

• Physical Protection: Nehemiah had God’s favor and earned the favor of the king as a result.

• Nehemiah determined that the wall around the city needed to be rebuilt in order to protect the Jews from the influences and attacks of their pagan neighbors. They rebuilt in 52 days!

Rebuilding and Protection Cont’d

• Spiritual Protection: With the newly rebuilt wall surrounding the city, the Jews were able to once again worship God the way they were supposed to.

• Restoration of our relationship to God involves repenting (turning our backs to sin) and rebuilding our moral and spiritual lives.

Revisit Sin Cycle: How do we get out?

Only Jesus in you has the power to resist temptation and do the right thing.

God Stops Talking

• After Esther (in which the name of God is never mentioned in the book) and Nehemiah (which is the last book of the Old Testament chronologically), its story ends in approximately 425 B.C.

• The recorded history of the Old Testament stops too because God stops talking for the next 400 years.

• God was preparing the world for the greatest event in the history of the world. He was getting the world ready so He could send His son.