Theology Chapter 5
Scribes, edited, Old Testament, Pentateuch, organized, Chronicles, Nehemiah
Fill in the blanks: During this era the ____________ compiled and ______________ the early texts and oral traditions and the ________ ________________ began to resemble its present form. Both the ________________ and the historical books were completed and the works of the prophets were ____________________. Further, unique works from the postexilic period we're produced including the _____________, Ezra, and _______________
Accompanied, censured, shock, shepherd, peace, restoration
Fill in the blanks: Ezekiel _____________ the exiled Jews to Babylon. Prior to Jerusalem's fall, he ______________ the Chosen People and the nations for their sinful actions and engaged in symbolic actions to _____________ the people into turning from their sins. Later, he told the exiled Jews of a new king-a _____________-who would make a covenant of ______________ with his people and of God's _______________ of the nation
Roman army, building, Temple, male Jewish, Bethlehem
Fill in the blanks: Herod the Great was appointed by the _______________ as a puppet king over Judea, and served from 37 to 4 BC and was renowned for his great ______________ projects, including the rebuilding of the Jerusalem _____________. He was a bloodthirsty ruler who called for the execution of _____________ children. Fortunately, Jesus Christ who was born in _______________, escaped his wrath
False (Ezekiel)
True or False: Isaiah prophesied the building of a New Jerusalem Temple and of the nation's return there
True
True or False: Isaiah's reference to Emmanuel is a prophecy about Jesus Christ
True
True or False: Israel fell apart, despite the judges' help, due to their unfaithfulness and lawlessness
True
True or False: Jews who compiled the Bible did not consider the northern kingdom's faith to be authentic to YHWH because they did not worship in Jerusalem
True
True or False: Samuel was a wise priest and prophet, and Israel's last and most significant judge who helped the people to avoid idolatry
False (house of David)
True or False: The Davidic covenant led the Israelites to believe that the Messiah would come from the house of Samuel to save the Chosen People from their enemies
False (400 years)
True or False: The Davidic dynasty lasted about 800 years until the Babylonians conquered the southern kingdom
False (David)
True or False: The generations following Saul looked to him as someone God used in a special way to work out his divine plan and to reign as a golden age for Israel
True
True or False: The hopeful message of the author of Isaiah 40-55 came to pass when the Persian Empire conquered the Babylonian Empire and God's remnant returned to Jerusalem
False (John the Baptist & Jesus)
True or False: The life of Jeremiah parallels the lives of both Moses and John the Baptist
False (books are switched)
True or False: The major theological truth in the Book of Judges is that the Lord fought for Israel in the conquest of Canaan, while the Book of Joshua explains that the Israelites gained a foothold in the land after about two hundred years involving several major battles
True
True or False: The mutual distrust between the Jews and Samaritans came about because the latter were a mixed population of both Israelite and Assyrian descent who worshipped God at Dan and Bethel
False (Elijah and Elisha)
True or False: The nonwriting group of prophets are those that did not leave behind their own writings like Amos and Hosea
False (prophets are switched)
True or False: The prophet Elijah succeeded Elisha and performed many miracles just like his predecessor, also siding with the poor
True
True or False: The prophets Amos and Hosea were two prophets of social justice who challenged King Jeroboam II and his successors who permitted the worship of the Baals and exploitation of the poor
True
True or False: The two Books of Kings relate the history of Israel from the death of King David until the Babylonian Captivity
False (until King David)
True or False: The two Books of Samuel cover the history of the Israelites from the period of the judges until the last years of the prophet Isaiah
1. Worship the one true God 2. Be just, especially to the poor 3. Know that God will ultimately triumph 4. Accept God's love and mercy
What are four important themes preached by the Old Testament prophets?
1. He overextended himself economically by keeping many wives whom he had to support in luxury 2. His wives introduced their gods and priests in to the land which led many Israelites to false worship 3. Because Israel had a large army and Solomon initiated many building projects, he taxed them heavily and conscripted many to forced labor
What are three ways Solomon's power and splendor corrupted him during his later years?
Elijah was taken to Heaven in a whirlwind and the Jews believed that he would, at the end of time, bring peace to the world; many thought he was the precursor and partner of the Messiah
Why was Elijah considered the greatest of the Old Testament prophets, second only to Moses?
When the Israelites obeyed, they were victorious. When they ignored God and followed their own will, they failed
Why was obedience to God the key to the Israelite's success against their enemies?
Knowing God and all the good he has done for his people
According to Hosea, what is the antidote to Israel's infidelity to God?
Authority, military, judges, apostasy, faith, love
Fill in the blanks: In the absence of a strong central ____________ following the death of Joshua, God raised up local ____________ leaders called ______________. During this era Israelite history centers around a cycle of _____________: the denial of God and the repudiation of _____________. However, throughout it all, God's _____________ remained constant
Jeroboam, golden calves, insecurity, Jerusalem, successors
Fill in the blanks: King ___________ violated the First Commandment by placing two ______________ in the cities of Dan and Bethel for the people to worship. This was motivated by his __________ that allowing his people of the north to worship in ________________ might inspire their loyalty to the southern king, and many of his ____________ followed suit
Solomon, prosperous, Jerusalem, Temple, wisdom, knowledge
Fill in the blanks: King ___________ was a powerful and wealthy king who generally enjoyed a peaceful and _____________ reign. He made _________________ the center of Israel's religious life by building the ________________ there which proved to be his greatest achievement. Pleased with him, God gave him _____________, exceptional understanding, and _____________
Maccabees, Antiochus IV, Hanukkah, rededicated, Jewish dynasty, freedom
Fill in the blanks: Led by the ____________ family, the Jews revolted against the cruel rule of __________________. The feast of ________________ commemorates this rebellion when Judas Maccabeus recaptured Jerusalem and ________________ the Temple. The short-lived independent ______________________________ was formed which brought glory and political _____________ to the Jews
Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar, marriage, Sabbath, circumcision, synagogues
Fill in the blanks: Most of the inhabitants of ________________ were deported to Babylon when King _____________ destroyed the city in 586 BC. In order to preserve their Jewish identity, the exiles encouraged ______________ only between Jews, studied the Law, observed the ____________, continued to practice _______________, and met in _____________ to study and pray together
Prophet, repent and be saved, Israel, Babylonian, doom
Fill in the blanks: The Hebrew word for __________ is "nabi" which means "mouthpiece" and the basic message of Israel's prophets was: _______________________. They appeared during ________________ and Judah's decline and the ________________ exile. Failure to heed the prophet's words brought _____________
Judah, witness, Temple, renewed, Gentile, Jerusalem, Temple, pilgramages
Fill in the blanks: The Jews returning to ___________ were more faithful to the Law as a ____________ to the nation. They rebuilt Jerusalem and the _______________, reestablished worship of YHWH, and _____________ the covenant. Those Jews who chose not to return were more open to _____________ ideas. However, they looked up to _____________ for leadership, paid the ___________tax, and made _______________ to the Holy City
Northern, Jerusalem, shrines, Jezebel, idolatry, destruction
Fill in the blanks: The downfall of the ______________ kingdom was the result of idolatry. Rather than centering worship in the holy city of _______________, Jeroboam centered it at the two ancient ______________ of Dan and Bethel. Later, King Ahab allowed his wife ____________ to erect altars to Baal. These practices spread ________________ throughout the kingdom of and led to the _______________ of the northern kingdom
Southern, Babylonians, exile, covenant, intermarried, injustice, godly
Fill in the blanks: The end of the ___________ kingdom came in 586 BC at the hand of the _____________ who would eventually take much of the population into ___________. Some of King Solomon's successors tried to keep God's ___________, but eventually the kings ______________ with the northern kingdom's Ahab-Jezebel family, which led to idolatry, _______________, and religious worship marked by formality without a _______________ spirit
Repentance, sorrow, fell, hope, parables, flask
Fill in the blanks: The prophet Jeremiah consistently preached a message of _________________, warning that the People's sins would lead to _____________ and death. Once Jerusalem ___________, he preached a message of ______________. He sometimes taught by enacting living ______________ like the time he dramatically shattered a _______________ in front of the elders and priests
Hosea, Amos's, marital, Israel, idolatry, poor
Fill in the blanks: The prophet ___________ began preaching in the last years of _____________ preaching and continued until the fall of Israel. In his preaching, he drew on his painful ____________ situation to describe God's relationship with ______________. Like Amos, he saw Israel's worst crimes as _____________ and oppression of the ____________
Persians, Zoroastrianism, conquered, Hellenism, Greek
Fill in the blanks: While ruled by the _____________, the Jews were not required to practice _______________, the official Persian religion. When the Persians were ______________ by Alexander the Great he established _________________, in his desire that all his conquered people be one nations with classical ______________ culture as it's unifying force
David, tribes, 33, Jerusalem, Ark of the Covenant, nation
Fill in the blanks: __________ united all the ___________ and became the sole king of the unites nation of Israel for ________ years. In that time, he made __________________ the capital and brought the ______________________ there to witness God's permanent presence to the new _______________
Saul, God's, military, tribes, commands, David
Fill in the blanks: ____________ was selected as Israel's first king with _____________ approval. His _____________ exploits were successful as well as his efforts to unite the _____________. However, when he began to stray from God's ________________, Samuel anointed ______________, the greatest of all Israel's kings, while Saul was still king
1. He foretold a coming Messiah who would lead Israel to peace and justice 2. This Messiah would come from Bethlehem and would rule by the strength of the Lord 3. He would gather God's remnant, a righteous group who would survive the Babylonian Captivity
How did Micah add to and affirm the hope that Isaiah had given?
They went from calls of repentance and warnings of doom to words of consolation and hope once doom had struck
How did the prophetic message of both Jeremiah and Ezekiel change in the time before and after the Exile?
His book has 66 chapters, a collection of prophecies spanning 250 years; some of it was written by anonymous prophets and is divided to reflect the different eras
How is the Prophet Isaiah unique?
False (kingdoms are switched)
True or False: After Solomon's death the united kingdom of Israel split in two with his son, Jeroboam ruling the southern kingdom of Israel and his servant Rehoboam ruling the northern ten tribes which formed the Kingdom of Judah
True
True or False: All of the prophets of the postexilic period in one way or another referenced and prefigured Jesus Christ
True
True or False: Because the prophets' responsibility was to tell the ruling authorities what they were doing wrong, it was a thankless job which made them very unpopular
True
True or False: Despite his greatness, King David had his faults, including the sings of adultery and murder
False (forbade marriages)
True or False: Ezra was a scribe and religious reformer who helped solidify Jewish identity by encouraging marriages between Jews and non-Jews
True
True or False: In the postexilic period Rabbis and scribes became increasingly important religious figures both inside and outside the Holy Land
He placed great value on the Temple and its worship, with a special focus on the need to keep the Sabbath and follow the law of holiness
What did the prophet Ezekiel emphasize in his prophecy?
He allowed the Jews to return to Judah and Jerusalem
What did the prophet of Isaiah 40-55 make clear about the actions of King Cyrus of Persia?
The rebuilding of the Temple, the role of priests, and proper worship
What did the prophets write about during the postexilic period?
God does not tolerate idolatry and pagan worship
What important lesson did the Babylonian Exile teach the Chosen People?
Jewish Scriptures that contained Israel's oral traditions
What important work was done by the Jewish scribes during the exile?
A covenant ensuring that a leader from David's family would always rule Israel
What is the Davidic covenant?
The Israelite's history from the time of Moses's death to the beginning of the monarchy; they tell the story of the Israelites' settlement in the Promised Land and their interactions with their Canaanite neighbors
What period do the Books of Joshua and Judges cover and what story do they tell?
The birth of Jesus Christ, Son of God
What sign did Isaiah promise in 7:14?
The king would draft Israelite children into his army, tax them, and treat them like slaves; they were offending God by requesting a human king
What warnings did Samuel issue to the people of Israel's desire for a king?
He preached that the worship of God must show itself in concrete deeds of mercy and justice to the weak and the poor; he warned that the many sins of the northern kingdom would lead to the people's destruction
What was the prophet Amos's basic message and what warning did he issue?
Fidelity to God leads to success; disobedience leads to disaster
What was the religious theme of the period of the monarch?
To rebuild the Temple and to renew the covenant in the hearts of the people
What were basic tasks of those who helped shape postexilic Judaism?
The ten tribes of the northern kingdom who disappeared from history after being enslaved and exiled by the Assyrians
Who were the famous Lost Tribes of Israel?
The Israelites were not always faithful to the God who rescued them from slavery, guided them with his Law, gave them a land, sent judges and kings to defend them, and gave them prophets to correct them
Why might one feel that the friendship that God had with the Israelites was one-sided?