Great Themes of the Bible: Exam 1 and 2
What happens during the rebuilding of the temple and Jerusalem?
The salient feature to keep in mind, however, is that Cyrus sent the Jews home for religious purposes only. Judah was re-established only so Yahweh could be worshipped, and the Jews were sent to Judah for the express purpose of worshiping Yahweh. Before the Exile, Judah and Israel were merely kingdoms; now Judah was a theological state . The shining symbol of this new state dedicated to Yahweh was the temple of Solomon, which had been burned to the ground by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC. Under the direction of Zerubabbel and later Ezra, the temple is rebuilt and the walls of the city rebuilt by Nehemiah.
Who has problems with Jesus?
a. Pharisees, Sadducees, b. His disciples c. His family d. Teachers of the law e. Hometown people f. King head and followers g. Disciples
What is a covenant?
A covenant is a solemn, binding agreement that makes two or more parties one. Covenants usually involve promises, conditions, blessings for keeping the covenant, and curses for breaking it. Genesis has a lot of these agreements, including God's covenant with the post-flood world (Genesis 9:1-17) and his covenants with Abraham.
Jacob/Israel
Jacob/Israel—Abraham's grandson. Jacob tricks his father and brother, finagling his way into receiving a special blessing. He has twelve sons, which the twelve tribes of Israel trace their lineage back to.
What did Jeremiah prophecy about?
Jeremiah was called to prophecy c. 626 BC by YHWH to proclaim Jerusalem's coming destruction by invaders from the north. This was because Israel had forsaken God by worshiping the idols of Baal and burning their children as offerings to Moloch.
What is apocalyptic literature?
Apocalyptic literature, literary genre that foretells supernaturally inspired cataclysmic events that will transpire at the end of the world. A product of the Judeo-Christian tradition, apocalyptic literature is characteristically pseudonymous; it takes narrative form, employs esoteric language, expresses a pessimistic view of the present, and treats the final events as imminent.
How does Israel perceive prophets?
Because the Hebrew prophets, like other prophets in the ancient world, are called to deliver messages from their God, tradition marked them as preeminent bearers of the divine word. Hebrew prophets rarely, if ever, merely warn or give polite advice; they speak the divine word with authority.
What is monotheism?
Belief in ONLY one God.
How is the Gospel of John divided?
Book of signs: (1-12, which are the "I am statements" describes transparently who Jesus is). Book of Glory: (13-21, describes Jesus's ministry and miracles). Farewell Discourse (13-17): Follows Jesus's final days specifically the mention of the Last Supper. Whereas in the three synoptic gospels Jesus actually eats a passover meal before he dies, in John's gospel he doesn't. The last supper is actually eaten before the beginning of passover. Passion/Resurrection: Follows his crucifixion and raising from the dead.
What is Passover?
Celebration when the Angel of Death 'passed over' Jewish homes marked with the lambs' blood and spared the first born son.
What does the Book of Genesis say about evil?
Genesis opens with God creating the heavens and the earth, the stars, the plants, the animals, and humans: Adam and Eve. God places Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, but they rebel against God, introducing a curse of sin and death to the world. Adam and Eve have children (including Cain and Abel), and those children have children. Eventually the world becomes so violent that God sends a great flood to destroy the world, but He spares the only righteous man, Noah. Noah builds his famous ark to escape the floodwaters with his family (and many animals). After the waters recede, God promises to never again destroy the earth with a flood. This movement culminates with the strange story of the Tower of Babel. The people of earth come together to make a great city and a name for themselves. At this time, God and the divine beings with him scatter the people of earth by confusing their languages and setting up different nations
What was the prophet Isaiah's main message to the Israelites?
Isaiah predicted that Judah would eventually be defeated because of their sin, but he also saw an ultimate redemption and restoration at the end of the story. Major themes of Isaiah: The judgment of God's people, followed by their ultimate salvation.
What was the Babylonian Captivity?
In 587 B.C.E, the Babylonians conquered the Southern Kingdom, destroyed Solomon's temple in Jerusalem, and carried the Hebrew people into an exile.
What does the Bible teach us about the times of Isaiah and Jeremiah?
Isaiah and Jeremiah lived during a time in Israel's history when there were great changes taking place. Isaiah lived about 100 years before Jeremiah. Chronologically, Isaiah lived during a time just after the northern 10 tribes of Israel were destroyed by the Assyrians. Jeremiah lived afterwards during a time leading up to the carrying away of the southern two tribes of Judah into bondage in Babylon. Both were called by God to address different aspects of going on in the nation of Israel and God's warning an plans for what God had in store going forward for the nation.
What function does Exodus play in Israel's story?
Passover, Hebrew Pesaḥ, or Pesach, in Judaism, holiday commemorating the Hebrews' liberation from slavery in Egypt and the "passing over" of the forces of destruction, or the sparing of the firstborn of the Israelites, when the Lord "smote the land of Egypt" on the eve of the Exodus
Why was Israel in Babylonian Captivity?
Significance in Jewish historyIn the Hebrew Bible, the captivity in Babylon is presented as a punishment for idolatry and disobedience to Yahweh in a similar way to the presentation of Israelite slavery in Egypt followed by deliverance.
Which books of the Bible are known as Synoptic Gospels?(similar)
Synoptic Gospels, the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke in the New Testament, which present similar narratives of the life and death of Jesus Christ.
What is the Bible?
The Bible is a collection of stories that provide foundational assumptions. They are a collection of 66 books that make up the Bible telling us the whole story of reality through a Christian perspective.
How was the Bible first written?
The Bible was first told orally over and over again, before being written down. The Book of Genesis for example, was passed down orally from Hebrew generation to Hebrew generation for centuries before ever being documented by hand.
Which books of the Bible are apocalyptic literature?
The Book of Daniel is the apocalyptic book of the Hebrew bible. Its sister book would be the Book of Revelation.
Why is the Daviadic covenant important to the people of Israel?
The Davidic Covenant is unconditional because God does not place any conditions of obedience upon its fulfillment. The surety of the promises made rests solely on God's faithfulness and does not depend at all on David or Israel's obedience.
The covenant God makes with Noah
Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." So God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth." God made a covenant with Noah and promised never again to destroy all the Earth's creatures with a flood. A rainbow is a symbol to signify his promise to Noah and future generations.
The gospel of John different then the four synoptic gospels?
1. Emphasis on Jesus's divinity 2. More relational 3. No mention of parables/major teaching to large crowds 4. Story begins before creation 5. Has a Son of God testimony 6. John puts himself in the story 7. Covers post-resurrection apperances 8. Overall different chronology 9. Many dualism references (light v dark and life v death)
How many judges were there?
12 (6 major and 6 minor)
What is a prophet?
God's chosen messenger
What genere is Genesis chapters 12-50?
Ancestral narrative. Stories created around 2000-1500 BCE, we can trace these stories back to a specific period unlike Genesis chapters 1-11.
What is Genesis chapters 1-11 genre?
Chapters 1-11 still fall under the genre of myth; trying to answer questions about the origins of the universe. It is classified as a period of primeval history, a period where we cannot determine when these stories were created; they were created "before the time" before a period where we could historically verify them.
What is the Gospel of Mark about and why is it so important?
Luke's interest in people is undeniable. Much of the material unique to Luke's gospel involves Jesus's interactions with individuals, many of them on the fringes of "acceptable" society—sinners, women, and children among them. Like Matthew and Mark, Luke recorded the incident of a woman coming to pour perfume on Jesus's feet. But Luke was the only gospel writer to point out the fact known to all present that she was an immoral woman (Luke 7:37). In a similar way, we find in Luke alone the conversation between the robbers crucified alongside Jesus, one of them defending Jesus and receiving the promise of paradise. Luke's portrayal of Jesus reveals in our Lord a man come to minister and show compassion to all people, no matter their station in life.
What is the Book of Mark about?
Mark's Gospel stresses the deeds, strength, and determination of Jesus in overcoming evil forces and defying the power of imperial Rome. Mark also emphasizes the Passion, predicting it as early as chapter 8 and devoting the final third of his Gospel (11-16) to the last week of Jesus' life. One of the most striking elements in the Gospel is Mark's characterization of Jesus as reluctant to reveal himself as the Messiah. Jesus refers to himself only as the Son of Man, and, while tacitly acknowledging St. Peter's declaration that Jesus is the Christ (8:27-30), he nevertheless cautions his followers not to tell anyone about him.
What are the four gospels?
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John.
When does the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem happen? Who is involved in the rebuilding?
Takes place 520-515 BCE. Under the direction of Zerubabbel and later Ezra, the temple is rebuilt and the walls of the city rebuilt by Nehemiah. The rebuilding of the temple was difficult; very few Jews actually returned home, so the effort was monumental.
Recall the feelings of the Israelites when they return back to Israel
The Israelites feel: 1. Joy and hope returning home 2. Have a sense of belonging and community again 3. Relationship and promises with God have been restored 4. Uncertainty and unease 5. Does not feel like home after years of exile 6. Requiring effort to make their former home feel like "home" again 7. Everything remains destroyed and it must be rebuilt 8. Non-Israelites remain living in their cities and homeland
Why is God's covenant to Noah important to Israel?
The covenant God establishes with Noah after the flood in which he resets and renews the blessings of creation, reaffirming God's image in humanity and the work of dominion. This covenant promises the preservation of humanity and provides for the restraint of human evil and violence.
Do the Jews get to return from Exile and when do they get to?
They return fro exile in 539 BCE. They return however feel an extreme amount of ambivalence toward the situation.
How does Matthew present Jesus?
Writing for a Jewish Christian audience, Matthew's main concern is to present Jesus as a teacher even greater than Moses. ... He traces Jesus' lineage all the way back to Abraham. In the words of Helmut Koester, "It is very important for Matthew that Jesus is the son of Abraham." In short, Jesus is a Jew.
The New Covenant in Jeremiah 31
"Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord." This is a prophecy given hundreds of years earlier, written in the 31st chapter of the book of Jeremiah, in the Bible (Jeremiah 31:31-32). As you can see, God states that since we, the people of Israel, failed to keep the Sinaitic covenant, He will make a new covenant different than the Sinaitic covenant.
What does Exodus mean?
Exit ---> Egypt (Israelites become free)
What were the goals of the Babylonians?
- Deport all "useful" people (intellects, governing bodies, military leaders) - The wealthy ones flee to Egypt - Babylon destroys the monarchy and the general government - Destroys the economic structure - Destroys the holy temple
How are the Noahic, Abrahamic, Mt Sinai, and Davidic covenants different from each other?
Come back and explain.
What genere is Exodus in?
Ancestral narratives taking place around 1250 BCE.
What do chapters 1-8 and 9-16 of Mark cover?
1-8 cover: Three years of Jesus's ministry 9-16 cover: Jesus's passion which lasts 1 week, he confronts people who have problems with him. Covers his persecution and eventually death/resurrection.
How are the accounts of Genesis and Enuma Elish similar?
1. Both origin stories. Try to explain how the world got to be the way it is. 2. Involve God's and their role in dictating culture. 3. Stories both told orally first before every being written down. 4. The purpose for creation of both these myths was a religious one, in order to highlight the divine element that was responsible for creation and in bringing forth life upon this Planet. Water is the primeval element in both these accounts. (BOTH CREATION STORIES) 5. In Genesis, the creation story spans a period of six days within which all the elements were created, while the Enuma Elish is also set out over a similar period of six days which are represented as six generations of Gods. Each of these generations of Gods represents the creation of a particular element of nature. 6. In the genesis story, God completes his creation in six days and rests on the seventh day, with the process of creation having been completed. In the Enuma Elish, six generations of gods exist in a state of conflict until the sixth generation Babylonian god Marduk turns man into a slave so that the gods can rest on the seventh day. 7. The second and third days of creation in Genesis involves the creation of land as it rises up out of the water, symbolized in the Babylonian myth by the birth of the gods of muddy silt and the earth. 8. Similarly the fourth and fifth days of creation as detailed in Genesis of the Bible involve the origin of the sun, stars and primitive life forms while in the Babylonian myth, these two generations are represented by the birth of the God of the sky.
What were the problems people had with Jesus?
1. Breaking laws specifically breaking the Sabbath. 2. Claiming Jesus is demonic 3. He is preaching 4. Forgiving sins and predicts his own suffering/death (unheard of) 5. Too familiar to home-town folks
What are Daniel's primary visions about?
1. Filled with monsters and demons 2. Destruction --- foreshadowing the fall of the empires 3. Messiah -- anticipated chosen King
Synoptic Gospels similarities
1. Focused on Jesus as the protagonist 2. About what Jesus does and says 3. Jesus is the MESSIAH 4. Challenges societal norms 5. Teaches through miracles and parables 6. Same geography (takes place in the same setting) 7. Jesus talks about the Kingdom of God
How are the Noahic, Abrahamic, Mt Sinai, and Davidic covenants similar?
1. God initiated all of the covenants. 2. God always fulfills his side of the covenant even when the opposing side does not. 3. God remains ACCOUNTABLE. 4. God chooses the unexpected characters to fulfill covenants (the underdog) (the humble) 5. God keeps his promises to reassure that man has agency, and although we have free will he will be in ultimate control of our fate.
What are the five parts of the Book of Mark?
1. Introduction of Jesus 2. Jesus authority as King 3. Proclamation of Jesus as the Messiah 4. The transfiguration 5. Jesus's suffering/passion
What does Jesus challenge?
1. Laws/interpretation of the laws 2. Demons/unclean spirits 3. Death 4. Storm/nature 5. Disciples 6. Illness (heals the sick and performs miracles)
What does King Cyrus allow the rebuilding of?
1. Rebuilds the economy 2. Rebuilds the temple 3. Rebuilds the city walls
How did people react to Jesus claiming he was the Messiah in the book of Matthew?
1. Some became followers and were receptive to Jesus's teachings and proclamation as the Messiah. (became known as his disciples) 2. Others remained neutral, including John the Baptist and his home-town folks. 3. Elders of the Church rejected his ministry, thought he was leading the Church astray.
What are the features of Apocalyptic literature?
1. Visions 2. Vague and symbolic language 3. Visions given by angels about the end of all things
King David's downfall
A beautiful woman, she became pregnant after David saw her bathing on a rooftop and had her brought to him. David then ordered that Uriah be moved to the front-line of a battle, where he was killed. David married the widowed Bathsheba, but their first child died as punishment from God for David's adultery and murder of Uriah. David repented of his sins, and Bathsheba later gave birth to Solomon. When David was dying, Bathsheba successfully conspired with the prophet Nathan to block Adonijah's succession to the throne and to win it for Solomon.
Abraham (formely Abram)
Abraham (formerly Abram)—a Mesopotamian whom God chooses as the patriarch of a special nation. Abraham journeys through the land of Canaan, which God promises to give to Abraham's descendants. God makes a covenant (a special binding agreement) with Abraham—which is where Israel's story as a nation truly begins.
Who released the Jews from exile and why?
According to the Bible, Cyrus the Great, king of the Achaemenid Empire, was the monarch who ended the Babylonian captivity. In the first year of his reign he was prompted by God to decree that the Temple in Jerusalem should be rebuilt and that such Jews as cared to might return to their land for this purpose.
What do these books collectively teach us?
Along with the other examples of the biblical wisdom tradition - Job and Ecclesiastes and some other writings - Proverbs raises questions of values, moral behavior, the meaning of human life, and righteous conduct.
What genre is the Book of Mark?
An ancient biography. The Book of Mark is told like a biography of Jesus as the Messiah.
What are ancestral narratives?
Ancestral narratives are like stories told at family gatherings. Remember when aunt Mary did that?
What is the difference between the Jeremiah 31 covenant and the other covenants? And why did the people of Israel need anew covenant?
Because, though God promised in the Sinaitic covenant that He will never break the covenant, it was the people of Israel that failed. Again ... and again ... and again. They did not fulfill their part of the covenant. There are dozens of examples where God rebukes the people of Israel for not keeping the covenant. The main difference between the Sinaitic covenant and the new covenant is that the Sinaitic covenant was a collective, national covenant distanced from the individual. The new covenant is not only for one specific nation but is personal between man and God. This time we do not receive it in a written form, on stone tablets, like the Sinaitic covenant. Rather, it is written by the Spirit right on the heart of each man and woman who enters the covenant.
Who was involved in the Babylonian Exile?
Babylonian Captivity, also called Babylonian Exile, the forced detention of Jews in Babylonia following the latter's conquest of the kingdom of Judah in 598/7 and 587/6 BCE. The captivity formally ended in 538 BCE, when the Persian conqueror of Babylonia, Cyrus the Great, gave the Jews permission to return to Palestine. Historians agree that several deportations took place (each the result of uprisings in Palestine), that not all Jews were forced to leave their homeland, that returning Jews left Babylonia at various times, and that some Jews chose to remain in Babylonia—thus constituting the first of numerous Jewish communities living permanently in the Diaspora.
The Book of Judges
Before Israel had a king, it had a series of tribal leaders called judges. God used these men and women to save the Israelites from their enemies and lead them back to him. The Book of Judges records this dark chapter in ancient Jewish history, noting each judge's deeds and the circumstances surrounding them. After Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, Joshua led them into the promised land. When Joshua and his generation died, so did the Israelites' knowledge of God (Judges 2:10). They began worshipping other gods. So the Lord handed them over to their enemies and used the surrounding nations to test them, seeing whether they would walk in his ways as their ancestors did (Judges 2:22). That's when the judges came in: "Then the Lord raised up judges, who saved them out of the hands of these raiders." —Judges 2:16 But every time a judge died, Israel went astray again, returning to sinful practices and idolatry. It was a constant cycle of sin and deliverance. Israel rebels. God disciplines them. Israel repents. God delivers them.
How does Israel understand the Babylonian Exile?
But the Jews in Babylon also creatively remade themselves and their world view. In particular, they blamed the disaster of the Exile on their own impurity. They had betrayed Yahweh and allowed the Mosaic laws and cultic practices to become corrupt; the Babylonian Exile was proof of Yahweh's displeasure. During this period, Jewish leaders no longer spoke about a theology of judgment, but a theology of salvation. In texts such as Ezekiel and Isaiah, there is talk that the Israelites would be gathered together once more, their society and religion purified, and the unified Davidic kingdom be re-established. So this period is marked by a resurgence in Jewish tradition, as the exiles looked back to their Mosaic origins in an effort to revive their original religion. It is most likely that the Torah took its final shape during this period or shortly afterward, and that it became the central text of the Jewish faith at this time as well. This fervent revival of religious tradition was aided by another accident in history: when Cyrus the Persian conquered Mesopotamia, he allowed the Jews to return home. This was no ordinary event, though. Cyrus sent them home specifically to worship Yahweh—what was once only a kingdom would become a nation of Yahweh.
Why is the covenant important to Israel?
Covenant is what moves the story forward in Genesis. God promises the childless Abraham that he will be the father of nations, that his descendants will have a land, and that the world will be blessed through them. For 38 of Genesis' 50 chapters, the story follows Abraham's family as God begins fulfilling the first part of that promise: Abraham has eight children, who have children of their own, and so on and so forth. The next four books tell the story of how these descendants become a nation and make their move toward claiming their promised land. Jewish followers use this primal concept to trust in the idea that they are God's chosen people.
David as king
David is a strong but unassuming shepherd who becomes God's choice to replace Saul as king of Israel. He is humble yet self-possessed, readily dismissing human opinion. His humility becomes clear early in his youth, when he kills the giant Goliath with a sling stone, declining the opportunity to use Saul's royal armor. As king, his foremost quality is obedience to God. David's mercy to others displays his selflessness—a product of his strenuous commitment to ethical ideals. His sense of propriety is striking when he refrains from killing Saul while Saul has his back turned. David scorns the easy opportunity to attack because he feels it would be morally wrong to strike God's current anointed ruler. As king, David forgives the kingdom's traitors, and executes the traitors of his enemies.
How is Jesus presented in the Book of Mark?
During the Gospel of Mark, Jesus is portrayed by Mark as an IMPORTANT figure, known as The Son of God. ... Mark also portrays Jesus as a HEALER. There are many times throughout the text in which Mark described miracles that are performed by Jesus in order to heal those around him who are in need.
Differences between the Book of Genesis and Enuma Elish?
Enuma Elish: 1. Polythestic (multiple gods instead of one God) 2. Enuma Elish is extremely chatoic and conflict driven 3. The gods are power hungry, value strength and are given a physical description 4. In Enuma Elish the gods refer to humans as "savages" (slaves to the gods) 5. The primary difference in the stories is Genesis centers the story around humans and their involvement, and Enuma Elish focuses on the gods as "divine" fearmongering beings to be served and obeyed. Genesis: 1. Only ONE God 2. God is not physically described 3. God is intentional with his creation 4. Centers the story around the creation of humans; makes humans in his "divine image" 5. Creates the world in a chronological pattern demonstrating how purposeful God is 6. Gives humans free will to make decisions rather then gods making decisions for you. 7. Enuma Elish was written from 18th-16th century BCE. Genesis was written in the 6th century BCE.
Israel's Ideal King
Even the ideal king, David, had his moral failings. In many ways, the monarchy was a judgment upon Israel. Israel's monarchy makes it even clearer that Israel needed Yahweh as king. Israel rejected Yahweh, and He gave them exactly what they asked for. However, Israel's sinful motives and impatience were not outside of God's sovereign control. God gave Israel the monarchy, and after the failings of Saul, He chose His own king, David, to lead Israel. God redeemed the monarchy and brought it into His covenant, seen in the promised Davidic covenant (2 Samuel 7:8-16). The king did in fact "save" Israel from their enemies (1 Samuel 9:16; 10:1; 2 Samuel 3:18). Then in due time, God sent the king He had planned to send all along, the greater David, to reign over Israel (Matthew 1:1; 22:42).
What does Exodus tell us about who God is and who Israel is?
Exodus marks a covenant with the people of Israel that God will make them a holy nation and a kindgom of priests saving them from slavery and oppression. God exalts the oppressed and praises the humble, who are the Israelites. God will also defeat evil at all costs sending ten plagues to the Pharaoh for to free the Israelites. God will continue to fight for the oppressed, even when darkness prevails.
What was King Saul like?
First Israelite king, was full of promise and potential. He was tall, handsome, strong, coming from a small tribe known as the tribe of Benjamin. Saul, however; has deep character flaws; he's dishonest, lacks integrity, and is incapable of acknowledging his own mistakes. He wins some battles in the beginning but his flaws run so deep that he blatantly disobeys God's commands.
How did the Jews return from Exile?
Following a decree by the Persian King Cyrus, conqueror of the Babylonian empire (538 BCE), some 50,000 Jews set out on the First Return to the Land of Israel, led by Zerubabel, a descendant of the House of David. Less than a century later, the Second Return was led by Ezra the Scribe. Over the next four centuries, the Jews knew varying degrees of self-rule under Persian (538-333 BCE) and later Hellenistic (Ptolemaic and Seleucid) overlordship (332-142 BCE).
What is genre in the Bible?
Genre is knowing the intention of the Biblical narrative. Interpreting the Bible and understanding the intention for how it was written. For example, you read the Bible like you read a newspaper; understanding you read the opinions page different then you read the sports page.
God/Yaweh
God (Yahweh)—the creator of heaven and earth, including the humans Adam and Eve. God makes all things "very good," but when both humans and divine beings rebel against God, the world slips back into chaos. The humans rebel against God, bringing a curse on the world and growing so violent that God destroys everyone but Noah and his family. God is still at work to bring the world back to "very good" status again—and chooses to begin this work through a man God names Abraham.
How many wives did Solomon have?
He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been.
Who are the important characters in Genesis?
God (Yahweh)—the creator of heaven and earth, including the humans Adam and Eve. God makes all things "very good," but when both humans and divine beings rebel against God, the world slips back into chaos. The humans rebel against God, bringing a curse on the world and growing so violent that God destroys everyone but Noah and his family. God is still at work to bring the world back to "very good" status again—and chooses to begin this work through a man God names Abraham. Abraham (formerly Abram)—a Mesopotamian whom God chooses as the patriarch of a special nation. Abraham journeys through the land of Canaan, which God promises to give to Abraham's descendants. God makes a covenant (a special binding agreement) with Abraham—which is where Israel's story as a nation truly begins. Jacob/Israel—Abraham's grandson. Jacob tricks his father and brother, finagling his way into receiving a special blessing. He has twelve sons, which the twelve tribes of Israel trace their lineage back to. Joseph—Jacob's favorite son, who has prophetic dreams of greatness. He is also able to interpret other people's dreams. His brothers sell him into slavery, but through his God-given wisdom, he ascends to the position of second-in-command over all Egypt.
What were the 10 commandments to the Israelites?
God declared that the Israelites were his own people and that they must listen to God and obey His laws. These laws were the Ten Commandments which were given to Moses on two stone tablets, and they set out the basic principles that would govern the Israelites lives.
The covenant God makes with Abraham?
God promises the childless Abraham that he will be the father of nations, that his descendants will have a land, and that the world will be blessed through them. God asks Abraham to do certain things, in return for which he will take special care of them. The covenant between God and Jews is the basis for the idea of the Jews as the chosen people. The first covenant was between God and Abraham. Jewish men are circumcised as a symbol of this covenant.
What was King Solomon known for?
He is portrayed as great in wisdom, wealth and power beyond either of the previous kings of the country, but also as a king who sinned. His sins included idolatry, marrying foreign women and, ultimately, turning away from Yahweh, and that led to the kingdom's being torn in two during the reign of his son Rehoboam.
What type of King does God want?
God wants a king who is humble, faithful, and obedient to God. God exalts the humble and opposes the proud. God wants a King who will seek refuge in him rather then in man.
What does a holy nation mean?
God was talking to a literal nation, the nation of Israel, which He had chosen from among all the nations of the earth. God had established that nation by covenant. He had given them His law; they were to be governed by this law. He established a theocracy. It was the only theocracy God ever established. God Himself was King.
What is prophecy?
God's message being lived out through the Prophet's words and actions
The conclusion of Exodus
Guided by a pillar of cloud during the day and by fire during the night, Moses and the Israelites head west toward the sea. Pharaoh chases them. The Israelites complain that Moses has taken them to die in the wilderness, and Moses, at God's bidding, parts the sea for the people to cross. Pharaoh follows and Moses closes the waters back again, drowning the Egyptian army. Witnessing the miracle, the people decide to trust Moses, and they sing a song extolling God as a great but loving warrior. Their optimism is brief, and the people soon begin to worry about the shortage of food and water. God responds by sending the people food from heaven, providing a daily supply of quail and a sweet bread-like substance called manna. The people are required only to obey God's commandments to enjoy this food. Soon thereafter, the Israelites confront the warring Amalekite people, and God gives the Israelites the power to defeat them. During battle, whenever Moses raises his arms, the Israelites are able to rout their opponents.
What is the Book of Maccabees about?
I Maccabees presents a historical account of political, military, and diplomatic events from the time of Judaea's relationship with Antiochus IV Epiphanes of Syria (reigned 175-164/163 BCE) to the death (135/134 BCE) of Simon Maccabeus, high priest in Jerusalem. It describes the refusal of Mattathias to perform pagan religious rites, the ensuing Jewish revolt against Syrian hegemony, the political machinations whereby Demetrius II of Syria granted Judaea its independence, and the election of Simon as both high priest and secular ruler of the Judaean Jews. I Maccabees is the only contemporary source for the civil wars in Judaea, and the only surviving one for Judaean-Syrian relations after the reign of Antiochus IV. The historical integrity of the book, which was compiled from official written sources, oral tradition, and eyewitness reporting, is attested to by the absence of almost all of the conventions of the Hellenistic rhetorical school of historiography and by its uncritical use by the later Jewish historian Flavius Josephus.
What was the covenant made at Mt. Sinai?
If you will obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my own possession among all peoples; for all the earth is mine, and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation... Meaning: The covenant that God gave at Mount Sinai reinforced the covenant that God had given to Abraham, and told the Jews what they would have to do as their side of the covenant. God again promised to stay with the Jews and never to abandon them, because they were his chosen people. God told the Jewish People, that for their part, they must dedicate themselves to serving God forever, and to making the world a better and holier place by obeying God's laws.
Book of Ecclesiastes
In Ecclesiastes, three different, relatively disturbing themes are explored, all of which attempt to show that this life, at least as we know and live it, is meaningless. First, the march of time—the idea that time progresses forward and eventually we are all forgotten. Second, we are all going to die. No matter what, no matter how moral we are, human beings are destined to die. Finally, is that life has a random nature. Sometimes misfortune strikes good, wise people, and sometimes fools are rewarded. However, all these dark themes are meant to portray a much brighter message.
What does Abraham's covenant promise?
In it, God promises Abraham a land, descendants and blessing. This blessing promised to Abraham would extend through him to all the peoples of the earth.
Main differences between Isaiah and Jeremiah as a prophet?
Isaiah and Jeremiah lived during a time in Israel's history when there were great changes taking place. Isaiah's message was centered on the salvation of God's people by the coming Messiah and His role in the literal rescue and restoration of Israel during the end times. God raised up the prophet Jeremiah to give a final warning to the southern Kingdom of Judah to stop their idolatrous practices and unrepentant sin before allowing them to be carried away in bondage to the kingdom of Babylon. The teachings of both prophets have applications to people today in their need to trust Christ as their Savior and to live their lives in a way that honors God.
Isaiah's message as a Prophet
Isaiah's overall theme receives its clearest statement in chapter 12: "Behold, God is my salvation, / I will trust and not be afraid" (Isaiah 12:2). This echoes the meaning of Isaiah's name, which means the "salvation of Yahweh."2 Having read the book, one might wonder about the strong presence of judgment that runs through the first thirty-nine chapters when the theme is salvation. How can the two coexist? The presence of judgment indicates its necessity for salvation to occur. Before we can have salvation, we must have a need for it! So the bulk of those early chapters in Isaiah detail judgments against the people who have turned their backs on the Lord, showing us that those who persist in their rebellion will receive judgment. On the other hand, we also see God's faithfulness to His promise. He will preserve a small remnant of faithful believers, those who will continue on into the glorious renewed world He has prepared for His children in the end times (65:17-66:24).
Why was monotheism significant for Israel?
Israel had a change in radical beliefs regarding God comparatively to the nations around them. All other surrounding civilizations were polytheistic and prayed/sacrificed to multiple Gods. Believing in one God made little sense to surrounding civilizations (for example Babylon and Enuma Elish). 1. The belief in only ONE God was a radical belief. Only people in the world that believe in the idea of one God. 2. One God is responsible for all the good and evil in the world. 3. That one God wants a relationship with humanity; God is personable, accepting, and relational. 4. God makes relationship with humanity and creates promises with his people.
The process of Israel wanting a competent King
Israel's sinful demand meant that the kingship would be a judgment on them for rejecting Yahweh. In asking for a king who would judge them, God gave Israel exactly what they asked for—an earthly king who would seek his own. And that is what we see in the history of Israel's monarchy, as Israel's kings were out for themselves. Outside of a few exceptions, Israel's kings were wicked and oppressive.
Joseph
Joseph—Jacob's favorite son, who has prophetic dreams of greatness. He is also able to interpret other people's dreams. His brothers sell him into slavery, but through his God-given wisdom, he ascends to the position of second-in-command over all Egypt.
How did Jesus refer to himself?
Just as Matthew portrays Jesus as the King, and as Mark reveals Him as the Servant, so Luke offers a unique perspective of Jesus as the Son of Man. This phrase, "Son of Man," was Jesus's favorite way to refer to Himself.
How does the Gospel of Matthew prove that Jesus is the messiah?
Matthew uses "fulfillment citations" to prove that Jesus was the Jewish messiah. Matthew further emphasizes Jesus' importance to Judaism by modeling his birth and ministry on Moses' birth and mission: Jesus is the new Moses who has been appointed by God to free his people from bondage and to give the (new) law.
What are the succinct images of Jesus?
Matthew: Follows Jesus as the New Moses/Teacher/New Israel Mark: Follows Jesus's role in humanity Luke: Jesus is an advocate for social justice John: Jesus is a divine being/god
Discipleship portrayed in the Gospel of Mark
Mark is trying to say what he has already said in other ways: discipleship to Jesus means abandonment of the self. Disciples are not called to be strong heroes of the faith. Rather, they are called to accept their own failure, to accept themselves as they really are—weak human beings who continue to fail.
What are the similarities/differences of the Gospels?
Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John are all told differently, however are all told through four separate eye-witness accounts. The Gospel of Mark probably dates from c. AD 66-70, Matthew and Luke around AD 85-90, and John AD 90-110.
Summary of Exodus 3
Moses and Aaron return to Egypt, where Moses organizes the Israelites and confronts the Pharaoh, demanding the release of the Hebrew people. Moses performs a miracle, turning his staff into a snake, but Pharaoh is unimpressed and only increases the workload for the Israelites. God responds by inflicting a series of ten plagues on Egypt. God turns the Nile River into blood, causes frogs to cover Egypt, turns all of the dust in Egypt to gnats, and causes swarms of flies to come into the houses of Pharaoh and his officials. God then strikes Egypt's livestock with a disease, creates festering boils on humans and animals, and sends thunder, hail, and fire that destroy crops, livestock, and people. God sends swarms of locusts, and covers Egypt with "a darkness that can be felt" (10:21). Before each plague, Moses demands the Israelites' release, and after each plague, God purposefully "hardens" Pharaoh so that he refuses the request (4:21, 7:22). The tenth and final plague kills all the firstborn males in Egypt.
Summary of Exodus 2
Moses is aware of his Hebrew roots, and, one day, he kills an Egyptian who is beating an Israelite worker. Moses flees in fear to Midian, a town near Sinai, where he meets a priest named Jethro and marries the man's daughter, beginning a new life as a shepherd. God, however, is concerned for the suffering of the Israelites, and he appears to Moses in the form of a burning bush. God speaks to Moses, informing him of his plan to return the Israelites to Canaan—to "a land flowing with milk and honey" (3:8)—and to send Moses back to Egypt to accomplish this task. Moses is timid and resists, citing his lack of eloquence and abilities, and refuses to go. God is angered but encourages Moses, presenting him with a staff for performing miracles and instructing Moses to take his brother, Aaron, with him as an aid. When Moses asks God what his name is, God replies, "I AM WHO I AM" (3:14).
Myth
Myth is a literary genre, stories about the gods as origin stories and how the world came to be. Stories are explaining how the world got to be the way it is, involving characters and culture. Myths are not entirely true or false; it is a particular genre in the Bible. For example, the Book of Genesis and the story of Adam and Eve are myth. That is, the creation stories in Genesis served to provide answers to why the world was the way it was, such as why people wear clothes and why women experience pain during childbirth.
What does the Bible say about Jeremiah?
Not long after Isaiah lived, God raised up the prophet Jeremiah to give a final warning to the southern Kingdom of Judah to stop their idolatrous practices and unrepentant sin before casting them out of their land and allowing them to be carried away in bondage by the kingdom of Babylon. God called Jeremiah from the womb to take upon this task of warning God's people, which brought him to tears because the people were hardened by sin and would not listen (Jeremiah 1:4-5). His warnings to God's people are echoed in New Testament reference to God's people today. We see references to these things as follows: Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD. A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and supplications of the children of Israel: for they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten the LORD their God. Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the LORD our God. Jeremiah 3:20-22
Saul's rejection as king
Now when Saul first became king, he was humble. But after he led the people in many battles and won them, he became proud. One day God sent Samuel to tell him, "I am going to punish the people of Amalek for their sins. Go attack the Amalekite people and completely destroy them and all that they have. "So Saul called together an army and went to fight the Amalekites. God gave the Israelites the victory. But Saul did not completely obey God's command. He kept the kings of the Amalekites alive and also saved the best sheep and cattle. God grew frustrated that Saul did not follow through on his commands. As Saul grew prideful and his ego took over his ability to rule competently; David began to rise to prominence and power. Once David grew stronger, Saul started to fall as a leader.
Book of Proverbs
Proverbs is packed with God's wisdom, and what's more, these short sayings are easy to understand and apply to your life. ... The book of Proverbs has much to teach Christians today. Its timeless wisdom helps us avoid trouble, observe the Golden Rule, and honor God with our life. Along with the other examples of the biblical wisdom tradition - Job and Ecclesiastes and some other writings - Proverbs raises questions of values, moral behavior, the meaning of human life, and righteous conduct.
What was the cycle of judges?
Sin, punishment, repentance, deliverance. God sends a judge to deliver them Israel rebels God disciplines Israel Israel repents
Why does Israel want a king?
So kingship was not a bad thing, and it was expected that God would give Israel a king in due time. Thus the problem here was with the motive and the timing of Israel's request. As for motive, Israel wanted a king in order to be "like all the nations." Deuteronomy 17:14 said Israel would have a king "like all the nations" surrounding Israel had a king. However, it did not say Israel was to have a king in order to to become like the nations. The emphasis in 1 Samuel 8 is on Israel's desire to be like the other nations. This is most clear in 1 Samuel 8:20, where Israel says they will be like the nations in that their king may "judge" them and "fight" their battles. Israel wanted a king to judge them, despite the fact that Yahweh was their judge. And Israel wanted a king to fight their battles, despite the fact that Yahweh fought their battles for them.
Main judges in the book of Judges?
Some of the more well-known judges (like Gideon and Samson) get several chapters in the Book of Judges. Others only get a paragraph. Shamgar gets a single verse. In this guide, we'll look at each of the judges, exploring what the Bible says about them and the role they played in delivering Israel. Othniel Ehud Shamgar Deborah Gideon Tola Jair Jephthah Ibzan Elon Abdon Samson
What is the structure of the Bible?
Structured like a 5 ACT play: ACT 1: Creation (old testament) ACT 2: Israel (old testament) ACT 3: JESUS (new testament) ACT 4: The church (new testament) ACT 5: The Eschaton: the end of all things. (new testament)
What are some themes of Exodus?
Struggle: The Israelites had a very hard beginning as slaves. Salvation: Yahweh helped the Israelites escape slavery. Covenant: The Israelites entered into an agreement with Yahweh. Chosen: Yahweh chose the Israelites as his people. Law: The Israelite nation was set up and given law
What is wisdom literature?
Tells us how to live our lives and face our daily challenges using the wisdom of God through virtue.
Summary of Exodus 1
The Book of Exodus begins more than four hundred years after Joseph, his brothers, and the Pharaoh he once served have all died. The new leadership in Egypt—feeling threatened by Jacob's descendants, who have increased greatly in size—embarks on a campaign to subdue the Israelites, forcing them into slavery and eventually decreeing that all Hebrew boys must be killed at birth in the Nile River. The Hebrew women resist the decree, and one woman opts to save her newborn son by setting him afloat on the river in a papyrus basket. Fortunately, Pharaoh's daughter discovers the abandoned child and raises him after he has been nursed, naming him Moses.
Why is Exodus important to Israel?
The Book of Exodus is the second book of the Torah, the most holy book in the Jewish tradition. The word "exodus" means when many people leave a place. The Book of Exodus tells how the Israelite people were freed from slavery in Egypt by their god, Yahweh, and under the leadership of Moses.
What is the book of Genesis about?
The Book of Genesis is the second longest book of the Bible (behind Jeremiah). On its own, the book of Genesis reads like a string of epic stories: a semi-tragic saga of a world that just keeps going wrong, despite its Creator's intentions. But Genesis isn't a stand-alone book. It's the first installment in the five-part Torah (or Pentateuch), which is the foundational work of the Old Testament. The Torah is Israel's origin story: it's the history of how the nation of Israel got its population, its land, and its religion.
The Book of Job
The Book of Job attempts to present concrete solutions about why innocent people suffer. As far as the symposium is concerned, the author's purpose seems to be none other than to challenge the view presented by both prophets and historians to the effect that suffering is in itself evidence of wrongdoing. For centuries, it was accepted as true that because Yahweh is a just ruler of the universe, the distribution of rewards and punishments must be in strict accordance with what people actually deserve. The author of the symposium is convinced that this line of reasoning is not true. In order to make his position clear, he constructs the story of a righteous man named Job. As an introduction to his theme, the author makes use of a popular folktale in which a good man suffers in order to prove to Satan that he does not serve Yahweh for selfish reasons.
Book of Psalms
The Book of Psalms, which is generally believed to be the most widely read and the most highly treasured of all the books in the Old Testament, is a collection of poems, hymns, and prayers that express the religious feelings of Jews throughout the various periods of their national history. Many of the Bible's main ideas are echoed in the Psalms: praise, thankfulness, faith, hope, sorrow for sin, God's loyalty and help. ... The writers of the psalms always express their true feelings, whether they are praising God for his blessings or complaining in times of trouble.
Why is the Exodus important to Israel?
The Exodus story shows how the Jews struggled in Egypt, were saved by Yahweh, and were led out of Egypt. They were chosen to become his people and agreed to do so, making a covenant with him. Yahweh gave Moses the Ten Commandments, a basis for the entire Jewish Law.
Who were the three kings of Israel?
The First Three Kings Of Israel: Saul, David, And Solomon.
How is Jesus portrayed in the Gospels differntly?
The Gospel of Matthew presents undeniable evidence that Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah. ... Luke portrays Jesus as Savior of all people. The Gospel of John gives us an up-close and personal look at Christ's identity as the Son of God, disclosing Jesus' divine nature, one with his Father.
What did Isaiah see in 6:1? And what did he prophecy?
The Lord sitting on his throne in the temple while surrounded by angels. Isaiah is frightened because God is holy and he is not holy; Isaiah was then purified by coal.
What does "judge" mean in the book of judges?
The biblical judges are described in the Hebrew Bible, and mostly in the Book of Judges, as people who served roles as military leaders in times of crisis, in the period before an Israelite monarchy was established. In the Book of Judges, the judges are leaders, chosen by God to deliver his people. Some Bible translations use the word "leader" instead in a few of these passages.
What does the timeline of Nehemiah and Ezra tell?
The book covers the period from the fall of Babylon in 539 BC to the second half of the 5th century BC, and tells of the successive missions to Jerusalem of Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah, and their efforts to restore the worship of the God of Israel and to create a purified Jewish community.
What are some key themes in the Book of Genesis?
The book of Genesis is full of stories we know from Sunday school, like Adam and Eve, Noah's Ark, and Jacob's Ladder. But the story of Genesis is really all about setting the stage for the rest of the Pentateuch: it's the long, long prologue to Israel's beginnings as a nation. Specifically, it's the story of the promises God made to humans—promises that God begins to carry out through the rest of the Bible.
Oral culture of Genesis
The book of Genesis was passed down through oral culture and was told like family stories. It would be a certain person's duty to remember a Genesis narrative and pass down the story to the next generation. The Book of Genesis was told orally to persevere the origin stories and continue to pass down stories to answer questions about where we came from.
What is the Book of Matthew about?
The book of Matthew is the first Gospel (an account of Jesus' life and ministry) in the New Testament. In Matthew, Jesus teaches people what it means to be part of his kingdom, the "kingdom of heaven." He is betrayed and crucified. He rises again and commissions His disciples to spread the good news. The apostle Matthew (who is traditionally credited with writing this book) seems to have written this Gospel to a Christian audience who was either Jewish or highly familiar with the Jewish religion. Matthew presents Jesus as the Messiah (Mt 1:1), the promised descendant of King David who would bring God's kingdom to earth and establish a time of peace and justice. Matthew quotes the Old Testament extensively, and places special emphasis on Jesus' fulfillment of prophecies—which would have been important to a Jewish audience. Matthew tells us the story of Jesus with an emphasis on His role as Messiah, or Christ:
When did the Jews get to return from their exile in Babylon?
The event in the biblical books of Ezra-Nehemiah in which the Jews returned to the Land of Israel from the Babylonian exile following the decree by the emperor Cyrus the Great, the conqueror of the Neo-Babylonian Empire in 539 BCE, also known as Cyrus's edict.
What was Pentecost?
The holy event of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, ten days after the Ascension and fifty days after Easter, Pentecost is the "birthday of the church."
What is the book of Daniel about?
The most famous and influential of the early Jewish apocalypses is the last part of the biblical Book of Daniel (chapters 7-12), written about 167 BCE and attributed to a revered wise man who supposedly lived some four centuries earlier at the time of the Babylonian captivity. "Daniel" recounts a series of visions, the first of which (chapter 7) is the most succinct. He sees a succession of four terrible beasts, evidently representing a succession of earthly persecutors culminating in the contemporary Hellenistic tyrant Antiochus IV Epiphanes (the "eleventh horn" of the fourth beast). Daniel then sees the destruction of the last beast by the "Ancient of Days" and the coming of "one like the Son of Man," to whom is given "everlasting dominion that shall not pass away" and whose kingdom will be inhabited by "the people of the saints," who will forever serve and obey him.
What does the Bible teach us about Isaiah?
The most notable thing about the prophet Isaiah is that his message was centered on the salvation of God's people by the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ about eight centuries before Jesus was born. Likewise, Isaiah foretold the Messiah's role in the literal rescue and restoration of Israel during the end times events of the world. At the time of Isaiah's ministry, his message was a warning to the Kingdom of Judah that God was calling them individually as a people to turn from their sinfulness and growing wickedness and to trust God's promised Messiah.
What does the difference of stories tell us about Israel and its God?
The primary differences in how Enuma Elish and Genesis are told explain the change in relationship between God and Israel. God wants a relationship with his chosen people; he does not want to be feared or described in a fearful way. God intends for us to accept him rather then fear his existence. Only one God leaves room for the people of Israel TO BUILD and CREATE a relationship with him.
What does the Daviadic covenant promise?
The promise that David's "house," "kingdom," and "throne" will be established forever is significant because it shows that the Messiah will come from the lineage of David and that He will establish a kingdom from which He will reign. The covenant is summarized by the words "house," promising a dynasty in the lineage of David; "kingdom," referring to a people who are governed by a king; "throne," emphasizing the authority of the king's rule; and "forever," emphasizing the eternal and unconditional nature of this promise to David and Israel.
What is the Messianic Secret?
The so-called messianic secret is Mark's description of Jesus asking even his own disciples to keep quiet about his true identity.
The story of Enuma Elish as a creation story
The story of Enuma Elish has two basic parts. The first involves a cosmogony, the beginning of the universe, and a theogony, the birth of the gods. The second part of the epic tells of the battle between the god Marduk and the chaos-dragon Tiamat and how Marduk became the king of the gods. The work ends with the construction of a city for Marduk, Babylon, and a temple for him, called Esagilla, in the city. Finally, Marduk is enthroned as chief god.
What books make up Old testament wisdom literature?
The study of the Poetical Books of the Old Testament, a category that includes Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon. These works are typically grouped together because of their abundant use of Hebrew poetry, but that is not all that they hold in common. Traditionally, these five books have also been known as Wisdom Literature because of their emphasis on understanding and attaining wisdom for all areas of life, including our relationships with God and with one another.
What is the Babylonian Captivity?
The time when the Jewish people living in Jerusalem are conquered by the Babylonians and forced to live in Babylon. Their faith is tested during this time because the Babylonians try to get them to worship their own gods. This is when Isaiah says where will always be a remnant of Israel that remains.
Genesis Creation Story
This account goes on to describe the seven days of creation: in the beginning - God started creation the first day - light was created the second day - the sky was created the third day - dry land, seas, plants and trees were created the fourth day - the Sun, Moon and stars were created the fifth day - creatures that live in the sea and creatures that fly were created the sixth day - animals that live on the land and finally humans, made in the image of God were created by day seven - God finished his work of creation and rested, making the seventh day a special holy day.In Genesis 2, some people think that the story goes on to give more detail about the creation of humans, seen as two individuals, Adam and Eve. Adam was made from 'the dust of the ground' when God breathed life into him. Eve was created out of one of Adam's ribs to provide company and help for Adam. They lived in a special place called the Garden of Eden. Both of them were given the task and responsibility to look after the place that God had created for them.
What is the covenant God makes with David?
This is an unconditional covenant made between God and David through which God promises David and Israel that the Messiah (Jesus Christ) would come from the lineage of David and the tribe of Judah and would establish a kingdom that would endure forever.
What does the Enuma Elish say about evil?
This narrative expresses one of the most fundamental convictions that humans have had. It is the idea that evil is somehow larger than individual human decisions to be bad, and that evil must precede human malice. They express an idea that evil has a cosmic metaphysical reality beyond human being. But, it's an idea that need not have all of the same ethical connotations that we commonly take "evil" to possess. The earliest possible connotations of the word Satan, the word that we all typically talk about as "the Devil", does not actually mean an evil-doer. The word simply means "rival". God's rival is how the Devil was originally conceived of in these cultures and that the rivalry is in some ways at the heart of the entirety of the Ancient Near Eastern mythos of creation.
What is the overarching tone and theme of Wisdom literature?
We read in Proverbs 1:2-3 that the Lord has given Wisdom Literature to reveal true wisdom and to provide instruction "in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity." The emphasis on our need "to know" and our reception of "words of insight" indicates that what the Lord has revealed in the Wisdom Books is not trivia, nor is it information that need never penetrate into the core of our being. Instead, the readers and hearers of Wisdom Literature are to pay close attention to it, studying these wise sayings so that they come to a deep understanding of what it means to live life wisely, or well. Of course, the Wisdom Books come to us in the context of God's covenant with His people, so this reality must always inform our understanding of what the Lord has revealed in Proverbs and the rest of the Wisdom Literature. Even when our Creator is not mentioned explicitly, the truth that He has redeemed us in order to bring Him glory in all things must never be forgotten (Eph. 2:8-10). The Wisdom Books often deal with what the world considers small, even mundane matters, but the fact that these are addressed in the context of God's covenant with us shows us that the Lord cares about even the smallest things. According to Proverbs 1:3, the goal of wisdom is not that we show others how clever we are, but that we receive instruction "in righteousness." Wisdom Literature shows us what it means to please God; thus, all can benefit from it. Young and old, educated and uneducated—everyone who pays heed to biblical wisdom will become wise (vv. 4-6).
What does a holy nation and kingdom of priests mean?
What does it mean for us to be a kingdom of priests? Perhaps the original intention was metaphorical. By virtue of our special relationship with God and our modeling of godly behavior in the world, we could function as a kind of moral and spiritual priesthood and lead the world toward holiness. Or a separate interpretation could be that Israel was chosen to be mediators to people through God's word.
Why is rebuilding the temple in the book of Ezra such an important project for the Israelites?
Whether or not it compared favorably to the first temple, the restored temple marked a new epoch; it signified the renewal of Jewish life after the devastation of exile. Moreover, it signaled a new role for the people themselves. Whereas the first temple was credited to Solomon and was built with forced labor, the second temple was the work of the people themselves. Although it came into being under Persian royal auspices (see Ezra 1:1-4), the actual builders were the Judeans (Ezra 1:5-6:14), who also unilaterally vowed to maintain it (Neh 10:32-39). In the absence of a monarchy, the second temple came to occupy a greater place in Judean life than did Solomon's temple.
What is the Gospel of John about?
While the other three gospels portray Jesus as the King, the Servant, and the Son of Man, John portrays Jesus as the Son of God. John stated his theme more clearly than any of the other gospel writers. He wrote so that his readers might "believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God," so that they may have life in His name (John 20:31). To accomplish that goal, John presented a riveting and distinctive picture of Jesus Christ, one in complete unity with the portraits in the other three gospels, but one that also adds significantly to the Bible's revelation of Jesus Christ, the God-man. John used a variety of techniques to communicate to his readers the nature of Jesus. These include his citation of Jesus's seven "I am" statements, in which Jesus spoke of Himself in terms such as "the Light of the world" (8:12), "the resurrection and the life" (11:25), and "the way, and the truth, and the life" (14:6). Much of John's gospel (chapters 2-12) might be called the Book of Signs, as it recounts Jesus's performing of seven different miracles—such as the turning water to wine at Cana and raising Lazarus from the dead at Bethany. These miracles illustrate His identity as the Son of God.
What is the historical context of the Book of Daniel?
Written during the Hellenistic Period/Greek Period: Historical context: During the period when the Book of Daniel was written him and his fellow Israelites had to culturally assimilate. Made the Israelites follow greek culture, religion, and language. The Greeks made the Israelites do the following: 1. Everyone needs to be Greek. 2. Follow Greek religion (multiple Gods) 3. Speak the Greek language
King David's accomplishments
uniting the kingdom, bringing the Ark of the covenant to Jerusalem, and making Jerusalem the capital city.
