OT Test Two Chapters 15-18 Study Questions

Describe the international political situation of 2 Kings. How does this tie in with the author's purpose in writing this book?

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What period of time is covered in the Books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther?

538 B.C.-458 B.C.

How much time is covered by 1-2 Kings?

About 400 years

What are some of the major themes of Chronicles?

David & his dynasty and the temple & the worship of God

Who is traditionally viewed as the author of 1-2 Chronicles?

Early Jewish tradition named Ezra as the author of these books.

What is the regnal formula?

In which every king is evaluated in terms of his faithfulness to the covenant and his willingness to follow the example of King David.

How are 1-2 Chronicles the "first commentary on the Scriptures"?

Most of the author's material comes from the Books of Samuel and Kings, and his purpose is apparent from his inclusion of certain episodes and his omission of others.

What are some of the theological themes of Ezra and Nehemiah?

Pride of place to history in ancient Israel's religion, direct intervention of God is less visible, but historical material shows God's handiwork. Scripture's authority and power is emphasized.

In what time period were these books composed? How do we know?

Probably the second or third generation after the exile ended and it was probably between 450 and 400 B.C. This is probably the case because of the position of Chronicles at the end of the Hebrew organization of the canon.

What is the theme of this book?

Subtlety and sovereignty

What is the overarching concern of this historical work?

Theology of retribution.

What was the author's purpose in writing 1-2 Chronicles?

To show that God was still at work among his people.

What is the all-consuming question faced by the people at this time?

How to maintain a distinctive identity in a changing world?

What is the theological purpose of 2 Kings?

To teach the importance of hearing and obeying the Word of God.

Define retribution theology.

Obedience to God's commands brings blessing while disobedience brings failure. For the author of Kings, history is the foundation on which this theology is proved.

Discuss the authorship of Kings.

The author was not explicitly stated, but he had access to royal historical documents and wrote in a similar fashion.

Why are Ezra and Nehemiah often studied as one continuous work?

They appear to come from a single author or editor, and they deal with the same general time period and are roughly sequential. They are also combined as one book in the Jewish canon.

What does the Book of Esther teach about life in a pluralistic and multi-religious society.

You need to stay faithful to The Lord and him only, regardless of what everyone else believes.

From what historical perspective does the author of Kings write?

1 & 2 Kings was completed after 561 BC, sometime during the last 22 yrs of the Babylonian exile.

Contrast and compare the office of the professional prophets with those of the true prophets. How do these forms of prophecy relate to 1 Kings?

Chapter 22 relates Ahab and Jehoshaphat consulting professional prophets to discern the outcome of an upcoming battle with Damascus. For Ahab, prophecy was a form of magic in which the prophet manipulated God. The professional prophets merely repeated the king's desire in the form of prophecy in an attempt to ensure the desired outcome. But for Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, the prophet was a mouthpiece for God. The word of the prophet made the will of God known to humans, regardless of the king's desires. Ahab's death vindicated Micaiah, the true prophet of the Lord, and proved the professional prophets wrong.

Briefly describe the relationship between Chronicles and the other books in the canon.

Chronicles is a commentary on the events in the Books of Samuel and Kings, but the author of Chronicles had a different purpose than its primary sources. Samuel and Kings' purpose was to trace the consequences of sin as opposed to the benefits of obedience. The author of Chronicles, however, chose to write a history of God's work in Israel that spoke to the needs of his postexilic (post-Exile) audience.

What is the importance of Elisha's ministry as portrayed in 2 Kings?

Elisha's ministry was instrumental in the destruction of the dynasty of Omri, the father of Ahab, in Israel and of Queen Athaliah, Ahab's daughter, in Judah.

Discuss some of the important differences among these books. How do these differences make the books complement each other?

Ezra and Nehemiah are simply historical fact, while Esther is a narrative that includes dialogue, plot, and characters. Esther is still historical, it is just communicated in a different way. They balance and complement each other because while Ezra and Nehemiah have a sense of piety, include historical detail and have a strong loyal devotion to Jewish homeland, Esther has a secular atmosphere, an entertaining story line, and focuses on the exile in Persia.

What unusual feature does the Book of Esther have?

God, Abraham, the covenant, prayer, and Davidic kingship are not mentioned. Esther is also never quoted in the New Testament and is the only OT book not represented in the Dead Sea Scrolls. But, part of the power of the message of Esther lies in its subtlety.

Who is the main character of Esther?

God, even though he is not mentioned. All the things that happened in Esther happened because of His sovereignty.

What role did Ezra play among the returning exiles?

He returned to Jerusalem and ministered there. He functioned as a scribe, and was a student and teacher of the law and a guardian of the tora and continued the traditions of the law of God. Ezra lived and taught God's ways among these people. He led a second group of Jews back from exile in Babylon.

How is the location of the 1-2 Chronicles in the Hebrew Bible important?

In the English Bible, they are after the books of Kings and before the books of Ezra to Nehemiah, so they are chronologically placed in the OT historical books. BUT, in the Hebrew Bible, Chronicles is after Ezra-Nehemiah, which changes the chronological nature of the books. This is perhaps because this reversed order makes the OT historical books end on a positive note, and can theologically encourage readers to feel freedom from their personal/spiritual exiles.

Why were the mixed marriages found in the Book of Ezra a threat to God's people at this time?

It was an issue of mixed religions. Israelite religion deteriorated due to interfaith marriages.

Briefly describe the ideological conflict between Baalism and the worship of God as found in 2 Kings.

King Ahaziah sustained an injury that he was concerned might be fatal, so he sent messengers to Philistia to ask Baal-Zebub about his health. Elijah intercepted the king's messenger and sent back a message to the king: "Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going off to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?"

How much time is covered by the Book of 2 Kings?

Nearly 300 years.

With what events is the Book of Nehemiah concerned?

Nehemiah rebuilding Jerusalem's walls after a catastrophe. The first six chapters of Nehemiah narrate the events of Nehemiah's arrival in Jerusalem and his leadership in rebuilding the walls.

What are the main theological themes of 2 Kings?

Of the many important theological themes of Kings, two were highlighted. First, retribution theology; when the Israel rebelled they were punished, but when they obeyed they were blessed. The second theological theme is the role and significance of prophecy in the Books of Kings.

Discuss the problems of authorship and chronology connected to Ezra and Nehemiah.

People used to think that Ezra wrote Ezra and Nehemiah, but this has been disproven. There is now more evidence for separate authors for Ezra Nehemiah and Chronicles. First person narration in Ezra makes it unlikely that anyone but him wrote the book. Same with Nehemiah. These books were most likely created from a combination of Nehemiah and Ezra's original writings, primary sources, and an editor around 300 B.C. composed Ezra 1-6 as an introduction.

What is the overall theme of this work?

Promise: In return for Israel's promise to worship Yahweh alone, Yahweh makes promises to David and to Israel - to David, the promise that his line will rule Israel forever, to Israel, the promise of the land they will possess. Apostasy: the great tragedy of Israel's history, meaning the destruction of the kingdom and the Temple, is due to the failure of the people, but more especially the kings, to worship Yahweh alone (Yahweh being the god of Israel). Judgement: Apostasy leads to judgement. Judgement is not punishment, but simply the natural (or rather, God-ordained) consequence of Israel's failure to worship Yahweh alone.

What message of hope do these two books contain?

That God's promises are true, and despite the circumstances, God still had plans for Israel's future.

What lasting effect did the Assyrian policy of deportation have on God's people?

The Assyrians controlled conquered nations by deporting large portions of the citizenry and replacing them with inhabitants from other conquered areas. The combination of foreign religious beliefs with the already heretical practices of northern Israel resulted in continued apostasy.

What social problems are found among the Israelites at this time?

The city walls had fallen. The Samaritans under Sanballat and other adversaries from among the Ammonites, Arabs, and Ashodites opposed the rebuilding of the walls. An economic crisis led some Jews into slavery, and others had to mortgage their property.

What role does the Davidic royal line play in Chronicles?

The genealogies in Chronicles emphasize the line of David. 1 Chronicles focuses on David's reign. 2 Chronicles talks about Solomon, David's son and successor. The end of 2 Chronicles focuses on the Davidic line of kings in Jerusalem, the heirs of the covenant promises to David.

What important biblical office began to emerge during the time of 1 Kings?

The office of prophecy began to emerge based on the ministries of Elijah and Elisha. Prophets become God's instruments of warning to the king and the nation. Doom was imminent because of their sin. Elijah appears on the scene with no introduction. He reminded Ahab that Yahweh, not Baal, is God of Israel. His announcement that dew and rain would cease was a direct challenge to Baal, the Canaanite god of storm and rain--a challenge issued by Yahweh, the God of the desert.

What is the overall theme of this book?

The overall theme is that bad kings lead Israel away from God and towards destruction like their fathers, but good kings lead Israel back to God like their father David.

From a biblical standpoint, why is the reign of Solomon seen as a tragic event?

The tragedy of Solomon's life is that he failed to remain faithful to God in spite of God's obvious provisions for his kingdom. Instead of Solomon, David is the Bible's ideal king of Israel, though he never attained the political heights reached by his son. God's Word is more interested in faithfulness to the covenant than in international prestige.

Discuss the subtleties of this book and how they affect the story being told.

They show that even when God is not apparent, He is at work on behalf of his people.

Why are the genealogies important to the purpose of this writing?

They were extremely important to their intended audience because they were used to demonstrate a national identity despite the tragic exile. It showed continuity between generations & gave comfort that God's promises remained the same. They also provide important background.

Discuss the concept of Israelite Yahwism as exclusivistic.

This means that they believed that they were the only true believe system and that merging multiple religious beliefs into one system was not accurate or possible. God had uniquely revealed Himself to Israel.

Briefly list some of the positive aspects found in 2 Kings, especially in relation to the good kings.

When good kings were in power, they brought the people back to the Lord and His commandments, resulting in prosperity, victory over their enemies, and all the other blessings promised by God in the Mosaic and Davidic covenants concerning those who follow God in obedience.