Old Testament Hist & Law: Final Exam
How does ancient history writing differ from modern history writing? (Week 8:Joshua)
Modern history is to be characterized by detached objectivity. In contrast, ancient history was written to persuade and convince, and in the case of biblical ancient history, it was written to convince that God is at work in the events of mankind.
What happened at Mt. Ebal and Mt. Gerazim? (Week 8: Joshua)
As Moses instructed them (Deuteronomy 27:11-14), the nation gathered, half on Mt. Ebal and half on Mt. Gerazim, to repeat the blessings and curses of the Law. This was a covenant renewal ceremony. Joshua also built an altar and offered sacrifices, wrote the Law on stones, and read the entire Law to the nation. They had done it just previously on the east side of the Jordan River (Deuteronomy 29-31), but now they do it again within the land.
Who were the Samaritans? How did they come to be? (Week 13: 2 Kings)
Assyrian policy was to take captives and resettle them in other parts of their empire. This is what they did to most captives from Israel. The poorest, however, were left in the land to tend it. They intermarried with other peoples who had been relocated to Samaria. This resulted in the people known in the New Testament as the Samaritans
What part did God's Spirit play in the anointing of Kings Saul and David (10:6, 9; 16:13-14)? (Week 10: 1 Samuel)
At this time, the Spirit came upon David and, at the same time, departed from Saul and was replaced by an evil spirit (probably bringing on a form of insanity as a divine judgment against Saul) (16:13-14). Providentially, the Lord brought David, who already had the reputation of a skilled musician, into Saul's household to play the harp in order to soothe him
The primary god of the Canaanites (during the period of the Judges) was B_______. Why? (Week 9: Judges and Ruth)
Baal he was the god of weather, storm and rain./ intended to persuade Baal to send rain
Under what foreign power did Jerusalem and the Southern Kingdom of Judah fall? (Week 13: 2 Kings)
Babylonians
What was the spiritual condition of the Canaanite people at this time? (Week 9: Judges and Ruth)
Canaanite people were among the most degenerate, degraded, immoral people in history
Who is the main character of the book of 2 Samuel ? (Week 11: 2 Samuel)
David
What was David's desire regarding a temple for God? What was God's response? (Week 11: 2 Samuel)
David intended to build a temple for God in Jerusalem to house the ark. But God, through the prophet Nathan, told David he was not the one to build a house for God, rather, God would build a house, a family, for him
What was David's last sin as recorded in this book? How did God deal with this? (Week 11: 2 Samuel)
David's sin of numbering the people for military purposes (ch. 24; cf. 1 Chronicles 21:1 where it says that Satan tempted David to do this). The sin was that of self-reliance and pride rather than trusting the Lord. But afterward, David repented, again showing his true heart (24:10). God gave David a choice of three judgments: a. 7 years of famine b. 3 months fleeing from his enemies c. 3 days of plague He chose three days of plagues, and 70,000 people died as a result!
Whom did Elijah anoint to succeed him as prophet? (Week 12: 1 KIngs)
Elisha
Who is the major prophet in the first part of 2 Kings? What did he ask Elijah for? Did he get it? (Week 13: 2 Kings)
Elisha/ so he asked Elijah for a "double portion of [his] spirit" (v. 9). Elijah promised Elisha that his request would be granted if Elisha would witness his departure= What follows indicates that Elisha did indeed receive a double portion in that he performed about twice as many miracles as Elijah did
According to tradition, who is the author of Ezra-Nehemiah? (Week 14: Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther)
Ezra
Who is the author of Chronicles (according to Jewish tradition)? (Week 15: 1 & 2 Chronicles)
Ezra
How do the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther fit together chronologically (i.e., order of events - table, p. 1)? (Week 14: Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther)
Ezra 1-6, Esther, Ezra 7-10, then Nehemiah
What is the basic/general content of Ezra 1-6? 7-10? (Week 14: Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther)
Ezra 1-6: 1. The decree of King Cyrus of Persia (538 B.C.) 2. The leader of the first return was Zerubbabel. 3. The foundation of the temple was laid, but then work ceased. 4. Work began again and the second temple was completed in 516 B.C. Ezra 7-10: 1. 80 years later, the spiritual condition of the Jews was very poor. 2. The leader of the second return was Ezra. 3. Ezra promoted a spiritual revival.
How do the three returns of exiles to Jerusalem fit into these books? (Week 14: Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther)
Ezra 1-6= 1st return, Esther= Preservation of the Jews, Ezra 7-10= 2nd return, Nehemiah= 3rd return
What is the moral lesson of these books? (Week 12: 1 KIngs)
Faithfulness to the Mosaic Covenant brought blessings and unfaithfulness to the Mosaic Covenant brought curses.
Why is it apparent God had intended to give them a human king? (Week 10: 1 Samuel)
For example, He had made provisions for a king in the Law (Deuteronomy 17:14-20). A good guess is that the first king was probably to be David, the man after God's own heart (cf. Genesis 49:10 for a reference to a ruler coming from the tribe of Judah)
What is the basic/general content of Nehemiah chs. 1-7? 8-13? (Week 14: Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther)
Nehemiah 1-7: Rebuilding the Wall/ Nehemiah=cupbearer to king of Persia; prayed and got permission to rebuild the wall; external issues= stop rebuilding; internal issue= unfair pay rates Nehemiah 8-13: Reviving the people/ he found problems: a Gentile living in the temple, the people not paying tithes (which resulted in the Levites having to work in the fields to support themselves), the Sabbath being violated, and ongoing intermarriage. Nehemiah dealt with all of these issues forcefully.
What is the Davidic Covenant? Where is it recorded (book and chapter)? What type of covenant is it (chart)? (Week 11: 2 Samuel)
God's Covenant to David, He promised: David of a house, or descendants (vv. 11-12) an throne/kingdom (vv. 13, 16). He would make David great (v. 9), that Israel would be forever established in the land God had given them (v. 10) that David's son (Solomon) would be the one to build the temple (v. 13; according to 1 Chronicles 22:8-9 and 28:3, the reason for this was that David was a man of war, but Solomon would be a man of peace) recorded in 2 Samuel 7:8(10)-16 (cf. the parallel record in 1 Chronicles 17:11-14)/ Unconditional
Who was Joash, and why is he important? (Week 13: 2 Kings)
Grandson of Athaliah/ At age 7, he was anointed king, and Athaliah was killed. Joash (also called Jehoash) was a good king, at least in the early part of his reign when he was influenced by the godly priest, Jehoiada (12:2; the latter part of the reign of Joash is recorded in 2 Chronicles 24:17ff.). He is to be remembered for initiating the restoration of the temple, which, due to neglect, had fallen into disrepair. He was assassinated by some of his servants and was succeeded by his son, Amaziah (ch. 12).
What did David do to anyone who "stretched out their hand against the Lord's anointed" (1:14)? (Week 11: 2 Samuel)
He had them killed
What is known about the person of Joshua from the Pentateuch? (Week 8: Joshua)
He was the general of the army of Israel. He was also one of the twelve spies who were sent into the land of Canaan. Only he and Caleb were willing to trust God to give them the Land, and therefore only he and Caleb survived the 40 years in the wilderness and were permitted to enter the land. Basically, God had been preparing Joshua through Moses to succeed Moses as the leader of the nation
When God chose David to be the next king, He was taking note of his h___________ (16:7). (Week 10: 1 Samuel)
Heart
Who was Manasseh, and why is he important? (Week 13: 2 Kings)
Hezekiah was succeeded by his son, Manasseh, who was the most wicked king of Judah
How many kings reigned over the Kingdom of Israel? How was their morality characterized? How many different dynasties? (Week 12: 1 KIngs)
In Israel, there was a succession of 19 different kings under 9 different dynasties. They were all evil
Who was Athaliah, and what did she do? (Week 13: 2 Kings)
In Judah, Athaliah, the mother of the slain king Ahaziah (and daughter of wicked King Ahab of Israel), reigned. She is noteworthy as the only reigning queen in Israel's history. She tried to destroy the rest of the royal family—and thus the Davidic dynasty (!)—but her grandson Joash escaped
What prophet was prominent during Hezekiah's reign? (Week 13: 2 Kings)
Isaiah
What is significant about the third cycle and its judge? (Week 9: Judges and Ruth)
It is significant that God chose a woman, Deborah, as a judge, and that God used another woman, Jael, to bring down Sisera, the commander of the enemy forces.
What was wrong with Israel's request for a human king? (Week 10: 1 Samuel)
It seems that what was wrong here was not only their rejection of God as King, but also the timing of their request; it was premature—the people were unwilling to wait for God's timing
Regarding, 1 and 2 Kings, who is the author of 1 and 2 Kings (according to Jewish tradition)? (Week 12: 1 Kings)
Jeremiah
What prophet was prominent at the time of Jerusalem's fall? (Week 13: 2 Kings)
Jeremiah
Who was Jeroboam II, and why is he important? (Week 13: 2 Kings)
Jeroboam II of Israel brought the northern kingdom into its glory days, extending the borders much to what they were in the days of Solomon (14:23-29)./ also great prosperity under Jeroboam
Who was their standard of morality? (Week 12: 1 KIngs)
Jeroboam or Ahab
What was the nature of and relationship between the various Canaanite tribes the occupied Canaan at this time? (Week 8: Joshua)
"Canaanites" is both a specific term referring to one of these groups as well as a general term referring to all of them together. These groups were organized into city-states which were ruled by kings. For the most part, they feuded and battled with one another, but the threat of Israel did bring them somewhat together in alliance.
What terms with regard to God's people come into use at this time? (Week 14: Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther)
"Jews," derived from the tribe of Judah, was applied to the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. "Judaism" was applied to the religious beliefs and practices of the Jews.
What is the repeated phrase in Judges 1? (Week 9: Judges and Ruth)
"they did not drive them out" (1:21, 27, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
What was the significance of (twice) noting Joshua's death in Judges chapters 1 and 2? (Week 9: Judges and Ruth)
Joshua's death is recorded again (2:6ff; cf. 1:1). This is significant because it marks the turning point from the successes of the Conquest era to the defeats of the Judges era. 2:10-11 provides the sad summary statement: "All that generation also were gathered to their fathers; and there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel. Then the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals."
What is the meaning of Joshua's name? What is its NT significance? (Week 8: Joshua)
Joshua's name means "Yahweh saves" or "Yahweh is salvation."/ Other forms of the same name in the Old Testament are Hosea and Hoshea. It is the Old Testament equivalent of "Jesus" in the New Testament (cf. Matthew 1:21)
Who was Josiah, and why is he important? (Week 13: 2 Kings)
Josiah was the last good king of Judah. He had the temple repaired (this is over 150 years after temple repair work under Joash), during which a scroll of the Law was found and read. This brought about a great revival and repentance during which idolatrous worship was destroyed (23:4-20), culminating with a long-overdue celebration of Passover (23:21-23). Thus, Josiah is to be remembered for both restoration of the temple and a revival among the people
What about the "10 lost tribes" of Israel? (Week 13: 2 Kings)
KIngdom of Israel/ Actually many from the northern tribes had already moved to Judah due to the Davidic dynasty and Temple being there (2 Chronicles 11:14-16, 15:9, 16:1). Also, there was movement of people from these tribes into Babylon during the Babylonian period and so representatives from these tribes were involved in the return from captivity (note the offerings in Ezra 6:17, 8:35)
Who was Hezekiah, and why is he important? (Week 13: 2 Kings)
King of Judah/ Hezekiah is to be remembered for promoting one of the greatest revivals in Judah's history.
What is the evidence for this? (Week 12: 1 KIngs)
. These books are definitely written from a prophetic point of view—Jeremiah was a prophet. 2. There are general similarities of style and content in 1 and 2 Kings and the book of Jeremiah. For example, 2 Kings 24:18-25:30 is exactly the same as Jeremiah 52—Jeremiah either wrote both or one author borrowed from the other. 3. Since 2 Kings ends with the Babylonian Exile, the author must have lived during this time—this would be true of Jeremiah.
What periods are covered (from what event to what event)? (Week 15: 1 & 2 Chronicles)
1 Chronicles: 1010 (Saul's death) to 970 (David's death) 2.) 2 Chronicles: 970 (Solomon's reign) to 538 (the return from Babylonian captivity)
These book covers what periods (from what event to what event)? (Week 12: 1 KIngs)
1 Kings: 970 (the last days of David and the beginning of Solomon's reign) to 852 (in the reign of Ahaziah, king of Israel)/ The Kingdom is divided in 931. 2 Kings: 852 to 560 (King Jehoiachin's release from prison in Babylon). The Kingdom of Israel falls in 722. The Kingdom of Judah falls in 586.
What generally is in Judges chapters 17-21 (two ___________________________)? (Week 9: Judges and Ruth)
1. A god for Micah; a god for Dan, 17-18 2.The Murder of a woman; the Slaughter of a tribe, 19-21
What are the themes of Ruth? (Week 9: Judges and Ruth)
1. Even in the darkest periods of sin, there is loyalty to God among a few. 2. Even in the darkest periods of sin, God is faithful to his covenant people. 3. This story illustrates the concept of redemption. 4. This story illustrates how God graciously and sovereignly included Gentiles in the Messianic line (specifically) and Messianic salvation (generally).
What was true of Judaism after the time of Ezra? (Week 14: Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther)
1. The Torah or Law was re-emphasized and became central to Judaism. 2. The Jewish canon was compiled about this time. So, the Jews became for the first time a "people of the Book." 3. Synagogues, which originated in the exile, were also established in the land at this time.
What are the two qualifications of this person? (Week 9: Judges and Ruth)
1. must be related by blood to those he redeems (Deut 25:5-10; Lev 25:25; John 1:14 - "and the Word [Christ] became flesh [human]").It was necessary for the Son of God to become human to redeem us. 2. must be willing and able to pay the price of redemption (Ruth 2:1; 3:11; Matt 20:28 - "...the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many"; John 10:15, 18 - "...I lay down My life for the sheep.... No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative."; 1 Peter 1:18-19 - " knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.").
What are the themes of Judges? What is the important concept associated with one of these themes? (Week 9: Judges and Ruth)
1. the destructive nature and consequences of disobedience to God The book of Joshua recounts the conquering of the Canaanites by Israel militarily. The book of Judges recounts the conquering of Israel by the Canaanites spiritually. The history of Israel recorded in Judges is tragic due to its sin. An important concept in the book of Judges is "apostasy" - a massive defection from God into sin. 2. the grace of God in hearing the prayers of his people and providing deliverance in response to their repentance-----The judge were (military) deliverers or saviors and therefore types of Christ.
What two purposes were given for God's command to eradicate the Canaanites from the Land? (Week 9: Judges and Ruth)
1. to judge the Canaanites for their incredibly sinful practices 2. to protect Israel from those sinful practices
What is the evidence for this? (Week 15: 1 & 2 Chronicles)
1.) The Chronicles are written from a priestly perspective focusing on the priesthood, temple, and the theocratic line of David and the tribe of Judah. There is little mention of the northern tribes or the office of prophet (in contrast to 1 and 2 Kings). Ezra was a priest, was well educated (Ezra 7:6), and had access to many histories and chronicles of various prophets, etc.which he used and named (e.g., 1 Chronicles 29:29; 2 Chronicles 9:29; 12:15; 13:22; 16:11; 20:34; 33:18). 2.) 2 Chronicles ends with the proclamation of the Persian King Cyrus that the Jews could return to their land (538 BC). This happened in Ezra's lifetime. 3.) There is continuity in style and content between the Chronicles and the book of Ezra (cf. the last verses of 2 Chronicles with the opening verses of the book of Ezra).
What were the four characteristics of a judge? (Week 9: Judges and Ruth)
1.initially a military leader, but after that a ruler/judge 2. appointed by God Himself (2:16). God's choice here was by grace, not by any merit within the individual. Some of these judges were good examples of faithfulness to God (e.g., Deborah), but others were not (e.g., Samson). 3. empowered by God's Spirit for his/her responsibilities (e.g., 3:10, 6:34, 11:29, 13:25). 4. more local or regional rather than nationwide and over all twelve tribes. Their periods no doubt overlapped. At times there were no judges at all. See map below.
What was Joshua's military strategy for conquering the whole of Canaan? (Week 8: Joshua)
11:15 states that Joshua faithfully completed all that God had told him to do through Moses.
What are the key verses of Judges and what essentially do they say? (Don't memorize them.) (Week 9: Judges and Ruth)
21:25 (also 17:6), "In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes."
What three years are associated with this fall? (Week 13: 2 Kings)
605: Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian commander, turned to Judah, overran the Egyptian army, and took many captives back to Babylon (including Daniel). Nebuchadnezzar became king of Babylon in this same year 597: Jehoiachin succeeded his father and reigned only three months before the Babylonians besieged Jerusalem, took it, and carried many captives (including King Jehoiachin and Ezekiel) back to Babylon. Only the poorest were left in Judah. Jehoiachin's uncle (another son of Joash), Mattaniah, was put on the throne, and his name was changed to Zedekiah. He reigned 11 years, but then rebelled against Babylon 586: Nebuchadnezzar returned to put down the revolt and destroyed the temple and the city of Jerusalem at this time. Zedekiah was made to watch his sons being killed, his eyes were then put out, and he was taken captive to Babylon
How many years did David reign over Judah only? Over all of Israel? (Week 11: 2 Samuel)
7 years over Judah; 33 years over all Israel
What is the general storyline? (Week 9: Judges and Ruth)
A: I. Ruth's Loyalty to Naomi, 1 II. Ruth's Service to Naomi, 2 III. Ruth's Request of Boaz, 3 IV. Ruth's Redemption by Boaz, 4 Boaz was the son of Rahab, the Gentile harlot from Jericho who married into the nation of Israel after the destruction of Jericho. Ruth was a Gentile from Moab and after marrying Boaz, became the great-grandmother of King David. Both of these women are mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus (Matt 1:5).
What is the purpose and theme of the book of Joshua? (Week 8: Joshua)
A: Purpose: To show how God fulfilled His promise of the Land to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and how God helped the nation of Israel to conquer and possess the Land A: Theme: illustrates the faithfulness of God and how faith in Him is necessary to take hold of the promises He has given to His people.
Regarding, 1 and 2 Samuel, who is the author according to Jewish tradition? (Week 10: 1 Samuel)
According to Jewish tradition (in the Talmud), Samuel is the author
What kind of king was Ahab? What were his sins? What prophet ministered during his reign? (Week 12: 1 KIngs)
Ahab, who was much less important politically, but notorious in terms of immorality and idolatry./ ministry of Elija/ Ahab married Jezebel, the daughter of the Phoenician (Sidonian) king and brought Baal and Asherah worship into Israel as never before (16:31-33)
Regarding authorship, all of the OT historical books are a (Week 8: Joshua)
All of the historical books are anonymous. The titles do not necessarily reflect the authorship.
What did David not do twice when he had the opportunity and what was the significance of this (chs. 24, 26)? (Week 10: 1 Samuel)
Note 26:10-11 and David's regard for Saul, once again, as "the LORD's anointed." The important point here is that David was willing to let God take care of this in situation His own way and in His own time. Contrast this with other incidents when the people of God take matters into their own hands to accomplish things through their own means according to their own timing (e.g., Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, and Ishmael; the nation of Israel desiring a king prematurely, etc.).
Who was Solomon's standard of morality (as well as the rest of the kings of Judah)? (Week 12: 1 KIngs)
Note in these verses that David becomes the standard for a good king. God's response is recorded in verses 11-13: The kingdom would be divided and most of it taken away from the descendants of David.
What generally happened in Joshua chapters 13-22?(Week 8:Joshua)
Occupying the Land/ The land is divided according to the direction of the Lord
What did David do with regard to Jerusalem? (Week 11: 2 Samuel)
One of the first things David did was conquer Jerusalem/ made it the capital
How do the historical books of the OT differ from other sacred writings of the ancient Near East? (Week 8:Joshua)
Other ANE sacred writings are often in the form of "myth": events that take place outside of human history, in the realm of the gods. In contrast, the history of the Old Testament is the record of the one true God working sovereignly and providentially in human history, even more so, guiding human history. So, not only are these books written from a prophetic perspective, but also a theological perspective.
Samuel became well known as a p___________ (3:19-20) and founded the school of the p___________s. (Week 10: 1 Samuel)
Prophet/ Samuel founded and led a "school of the prophets," where he trained men upon whom the Spirit of God had come, thus establishing them as prophets
The book of Esther records the events celebrated in the Jewish Feast of ___________ (Week 14: Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther)
Purim
What is the purpose, perspective and emphasis? (Week 15: 1 & 2 Chronicles)
Purpose: To record from a (Perspective): priestly and spiritual perspective the history of Israel from the beginning of the Davidic monarchy (1 Chronicles) through the return from captivity (2 Chronicles) (Emphasis): in order to encourage the Jews who returned from captivity that God's promises were sure and specifically that the Davidic Covenant would be fulfilled.
What was Ezra's primary concern? (Week 14: Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther)
Rebuilding the Temple - the 1st return to Jerusalem, 1-6
What was Nehemiah's primary concern? (Week 14: Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther)
Rebuilding the Walls, 1-7 and Reviving the People, 8-13
Which tribes settled on the east side of the Jordan River?(Week 8:Joshua)
Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh had been given land east of the Jordan River, as they had requested (cf. Numbers 32:28-42)
Where was the capital of Israel eventually established (16:24)? Who did this? (Week 12: 1 KIngs)
Samaria / Omri
In what year did Samaria and the Northern Kingdom of Israel fall and to what foreign empire? (Week 13: 2 Kings)
Samaria fell in the year 722 to Assyria
What was unique about Samson - his vow, role as a judge, moral character? (Week 9: Judges and Ruth)
Samson was also self-centered and controlled by his own passions, thus breaking his vow in numerous ways. His greatest weakness was for women, specifically pagan women, most notably Delilah. This led to his own personal downfall when he was captured and imprisoned by the Philistines. But in the end, God worked through him to destroy many Philistines and their temple/ chosen by God even before his birth
What were Saul's two big mistakes, why were they mistakes, and what was the result of them? (Week 10: 1 Samuel)
Samuel told Saul to wait for him to come; at that time, they would offer a sacrifice after which Saul would lead the nation into battle. However, after much time had gone by, Saul decided to act as a priest and offer the sacrifice himself (13:8ff), which was not his right to do, even as king. As a result, when Samuel finally did come, he told Saul that God was going to take his kingdom away from him and give it to "a man after His own heart" (13:13-14). This, of course, refers to David (cf. Acts 13:22). Nevertheless, by God's grace, Saul and his son, Jonathan, had a great victory over the Philistines. The Lord wanted to punish the Amalekites as He long had intended to do (cf. Deuteronomy 25:17-19). The time now had come and Saul was to carry out this divine judgment: to completely destroy the Amalekites. However, Saul spared their king and some animals (which Saul claimed to be for the purpose of sacrifice [15:15]). The Lord told Samuel He regretted making Saul king (15:11). Samuel confronted Saul with these words: "Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice. . ." (15:22-23). Despite Saul's feigned repentance (15:24), Samuel repeats that Saul has been rejected as king. This begins Saul's downfall as king, and the rise of David as king in his place
Who are the three main characters in the book of 1 Samuel? (Week 10: 1 Samuel)
Samuel —the prophet Saul —the King David —the heir to the throne
Why did Saul hate David? What did he try to do as a result? What did David do in response? (Week 10: 1 Samuel)
Saul began to hate David because of his military exploits and resulting fame—"Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands" (v. 7).
What event brings the book of 1 Samuel to an end? (Week 10: 1 Samuel)
Saul was in battle against the Philistines and sought wisdom from the now-dead Samuel through a witch. It appears that God allowed Samuel to appear from the grave, and he told Saul that he and his sons would die in the battle because the Lord had abandoned him (ch. 28). And that is what happened: Saul is wounded in battle and then takes his own life rather than fall into the hands of the Philistines. Three of his sons, including Jonathan, are also killed in the battle (ch. 31)
How many cycles are recorded in the book of Judges? (Week 9: Judges and Ruth)
Seven
What were the 5 parts of the cycle (5 "S's")? (Week 9: Judges and Ruth)
Sin: Israel worshiped the gods of the Canaanites (2:11-13). Servitude: God judged them by means of an oppressing nation (2:14-15). Supplication: Israel would cry to God for deliverance (2:18b). Salvation: In response, God provided deliverance through a judge (2:16-18). Silence: After an interim period peace, the people resorted again to sin (2:19).
Who succeeded Solomon and what disastrous decision did he make? (Week 12: 1 KIngs)
Solomon's son Rehoboam succeeded his father, but unwisely chose to continue to oppress the nation with even more harsh labor and taxes
At the beginning of 1 Kings, who was anointed as David's successor? Who determined that? (Week 12: 1 KIngs)
Solomon/ the proper heir according to God (1 Chronicles 22:9-10) was quickly anointed by David
What are the two views and general arguments regarding how Jephthah fulfilled his vow to the Lord? (Week 9: Judges and Ruth)
Some say they believe he did indeed offer his daughter as a human sacrifice, entirely contrary to God's law, Others say that Jephthah dedicated her to the Lord by means of perpetual virginity to serve in the Tabernacle for the rest of her life
What is meant by "Deuteronomic History"? (Week 8:Joshua)
That is, the prophetic perspective of these books is through the lens of the laws in the book of Deuteronomy specifically.
Where did the Levites settle? Why?(Week 8:Joshua)
The "thirteenth" tribe of Levi was given 48 cities as their inheritance. No land was given to them because they were not primarily responsible for living off the land, but rather to serve the Lord in the Tabernacle (13:33)/ These cities were scattered throughout the land in order to evenly distribute the Levites among the other nations. This was because they were also responsible for "pastoring" the nation and reminding them of the Law and the nation's responsibility in the Law.
What is the basic plotline of the book of Esther? (Week 14: Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther)
The Devious Plot against the Jews, 1-4: Sub-plot #1: Search for a Queen: king of Persia killed his wife the queen, looked for a new one, Mordecai, a Jew, suggested his cousin Esther, Esther won, but did not tell the king was Jew B. Sub-plot #2: Hatred for an Enemy: Haman(villain)= (official and close friend to king) hated Jews b/c Mordecai did not bow to him; ame up with a plan to exterminate Mordecai and his fellow-Jews throughout the empire, cast a "lot" (pur) to choose the day to execute the plan, and tricked the king into approving it.; then, became an irrevocable royal decree (1:19; 8:8); Mordecai heard plan and told Esther The Divine Preservation of the Jews, 5-10: A. Banquet #1: Three days later, Esther daringly presented herself before the king, and the king graciously received her. Esther then invited him and Haman to a banquet, at which time she invited him to attend a second banquet along with Haman; Meantime, Haman had gallows built from which he intended to hang Mordecai= lack of Revenge; But during the night before the second banquet, the king could not sleep and had official records read to him; rom the records, he learned that Mordecai had alerted his officials of a plot against the king but had not been rewarded for that (cf. 2:21-23); he king wanted to reward this lifesaver and needed some ideas regarding how to do it, and at that very moment, Haman came to the palace to talk to the king about executing Mordecai; The king asked his advice about rewarding this person. Haman, being an extremely proud person, thought the one to be rewarded was none other than himself and gave his suggestions accordingly! However, much to the chagrin of Haman, the reward was to go to his bitter enemy, Mordecai, and Haman himself was ordered to carry out the reward/ B. Banquet #2: Maybe the second banquet with the king and queen could salvage the day for Haman. Unfortunately for him, at this banquet Esther revealed her true identity as a Jew in connection with the wicked plan of Haman. In extreme anger, the king then ordered Haman hung on the same gallows he had constructed for Mordecai. Mordecai was then promoted to the place of Haman (8:2), second only to the king (10:3); Mordecai came up with a counter-plan to the law: the king issued a second decree that permitted the Jews to freely defend themselves against attack. On the day of the intended extermination of the Jews, the Jews were victorious over all of their enemies; To celebrate this great deliverance, the Jews instituted the feast of Purim, from pur, for lot, which Haman had cast to determine the day of the purging (9:24 ff.)
David builds an altar on the threshing floor (ch. 24) which later becomes the location of what important structure? (Week 11: 2 Samuel)
The Lord directed David to build an altar just outside of the city of Jerusalem, which he did. This location has traditionally been identified with Mount Moriah, where Abraham took Isaac to sacrifice him (Genesis 22:2). This also became the location where Solomon would soon build the Temple of Yahweh, just to the north of Jerusalem proper at that time (2 Chronicles 3:1)
Who was the primary enemy of Israel at this time? (Week 10: 1 Samuel)
The Philistines
Where was the tabernacle located after the conquest?(Week 8:Joshua)
The Tabernacle is located at Shiloh (18:1). This was centrally located
How are the conditions in the Davidic Covenant (2:1-4; 6:11-13; 9:4-7) to be understood? (Week 12: 1 KIngs)
The answer is that the overall covenant is guaranteed forever, but for any specific descendant of David, in this case Solomon, obedience to the Law was required for that specific descendant to personally experience the covenant promises./ Each successive generation of Israel needed to obey the laws of the Mosaic Covenant in order to personally experience the blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant
What happened to bring the period of the Judges to an end? (Week 10: 1 Samuel)
The ark was taken to the Philistines' temple of Dagon. There the idol of Dagon fell down two times before the ark (showing the obvious superiority of Yahweh over Dagon). In addition to this, God began to inflict the Philistines for being in possession of the ark. After taking the ark to various Philistine cities with disastrous results, the Philistines decided to send it back to Israel. This was done by means of a driverless cart pulled by two cows with calves "back in the barn." It is significant as an act of God, then, that these cows would carry the cart into Israel rather than trying to return to their calves./ Back in the territory of Israel, some people were struck down for treating the ark irreverently by looking into it. The ark then ended up in Kiriath-jearim, a village just west of Bethlehem, where it stayed until David brought it to Jerusalem./ Heeding the call of Samuel, Israel repented, removed their idols, and fasted. There was a revival! The Lord then gave them victory over the Philistines, at least temporarily
The book of Joshua covers the period from _____'s death to ______'s death. (Week 8: Joshua)
The book of Joshua covers the years 1406-1390 BC, from Moses' death to Joshua's death.
What two primary promises were given in the Davidic Covenant? (Week 11: 2 Samuel)
The heart of the covenant was God's promise to David of a house, or descendants (vv. 11-12) and an throne/kingdom (vv. 13, 16)
What did Achan do wrong and what were the consequences for the nation as a whole and Achan's family? (Week 8: Joshua)
The next fortress (much smaller than Jericho) was Ai. Although the nation had great confidence after the defeat of Jericho, they suffered a terrible defeat, including the death of 36 soldiers. Joshua sought the reason for this from God, and God told him it was due to Achan's sin. Due to one man's sin, the entire nation suffers—a lesson about the effects of sin! Achan and his family were put to death, and then God gave Israel victory over Ai and the neighboring city of Bethel. This effectively brought the central part of Canaan under Israelite control.
Who was anointed as king over the northern tribes of Israel? (Week 12: 1 KIngs)
The northern tribes (all the tribes except Judah and Benjamin) rebelled and anointed Jeroboam as their king
What is the historical setting, including significant births and deaths? (Week 10: 1 Samuel)
The period of the Judges and the United Kingdom period: From 1100 BC (the birth of Samuel) to 1010 BC (the death of Saul)
What are the purposes of these three books? (Week 14: Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther)
The purpose of the books of Ezra and Nehemiah was to record the events fulfilling the promise of God to return His people to the Land of promise; i.e., to show God's faithfulness to His covenant promises. 1. Ezra's primary concern was the spiritual welfare of God's people; he was a priest. 2. Nehemiah's primary concern was the physical welfare of God's people through the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem; he was a gifted leader and organizer. The purpose of the book of Esther was to record God's providential preservation of His people over against a threatened genocide; i.e., also to show God's faithfulness to His covenant promises./ also records the origin of the Jewish feast of Purim, the annual commemoration of the events recorded in the book of Esther
What happened with regard to these enemies and the ark of the covenant of Israel? (Week 10: 1 Samuel)
The reasoning was that if the ark was taken into the battle, God would most certainly have to go as well, and would therefore give them victory. The problem, however, is that this was treating the ark as a "good luck charm" and an attempt to manipulate God—but God will not be manipulated. The sons of Eli were the ones who carried the ark into the battle. In the end, they were killed (as God had said to Samuel), and the ark was captured by the Philistines. Upon hearing this news, Eli himself fell and was killed./ The ark was taken to the Philistines' temple of Dagon
What term is used to communicate the theme of redemption (1st used in 3:9)? (Week 9: Judges and Ruth)
The theme of redemption is communicated through the term goēl, or "kinsman-redeemer" (NASB, e.g., 3:9, 13 X in Ruth).
In what 2 general ways did David experience the consequences of his sin according to the outline of this book? (Week 11: 2 Samuel)
These are stated in verses 10-14: what David did would come back upon himself in the form of continued bloodshed, even in his own family, and his wives would be taken from him publicly. Also, Bathsheba's baby was to die. But also note that God graciously brings good out of bad: Solomon, the next king by God's choice, is born to Bathsheba and David, from this relationship that never should have been, and the Lord loved him (v. 24)
Why are the Historical Books (Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Samuel, Kings) known as the Former Prophets? (Week 8: Joshua)
They are recounting the history of Israel from a prophetic perspective, that is, how the nation either is or is not keeping the Laws of God./ biblical prophecy was much more often dealing with present reality rather than future anticipation. The prophets interpreted the present in light of the past covenants of God with his people
What are the emphases? (Week 15: 1 & 2 Chronicles)
This is more positive - This may be why the Chronicles are at the very end of the Hebrew canon. This may reflect the date of its completion or acceptance into the canon, but it may also be that the Jews wanted their Scriptures to end on a more positive note. More attention is given to the temple - The point is: God was still dwelling among his people; He had not abandoned them. This also reflects the priestly perspective here. More attention is given to covenant promises and God's faithfulness to those promises than to the Mosaic Law and Israel's unfaithfulness to those laws.
Boaz is a type of whom? How did this person meet the two qualifications? (Week 9: Judges and Ruth)
This term applied to Boaz who is a type of Christ./ Boaz was the father of Obed, who became the father of Jesse, who became the father of the great king of Israel, David= Jesus, line of David/ Naomi told Ruth to lie at the feet of Boaz one night at the threshing floor. This was the customary way for a woman to let a man know she desired to be married, especially in a situation requiring redemption of property. Boaz was delighted with the idea of marrying Ruth, but he knew there was a nearer relative who had first right to redeem the property./ Boaz approached the nearer relative, but he was unwilling to redeem the property and marry Ruth. So, Boaz was free to do it. The legal transaction then took place before the elders at the gate of the city. Boaz married Ruth
What is the purpose of these books? From what perspective are they written? What does this mean? (Week 12: 1 KIngs)
To record from (Perspective: prophetic and moral perspective) the reigns of the kings of Israel and Judah from the time of Solomon to the captivity in order to explain why the captivity came about, namely, because of sin and unfaithfulness to the Mosaic Covenant. As we will see in the prophetic books, the prophets were concerned with the morality of the nation of Israel—how well they were keeping the Laws of the Mosaic Covenant. This would be evident, not only through direct observation of morality, but also by the degree of divine blessings or curses experienced by the nation, based upon the "retributive theology" of the book of Deuteronomy, thus making this book part of "Deuteronomic History." The events leading to the downfall of the kingdoms are graphically presented, demonstrating that, generally, the morality of the people of God fell desperately short.
What is the purpose of the books of Judges and Ruth? (Week 9: Judges and Ruth)
To record the history between the conquest and occupation of the Land, and the monarchy (the first king of Israel) on the other hand in order to demonstrate the need for a king (17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25).
What are the purposes? (Week 10: 1 Samuel)
To record the transition from the judges (the last judge, Samuel) to the monarchy (the first king, Saul), and then from the monarchy generally to the Davidic monarchy specifically, eventually leading to the final Davidic king, Jesus (Luke 1:32-33).
What is the storyline of the conquering of the city of Jericho - spies to conquest? (Week 8: Joshua)
Two spies are sent to Jericho, the first fortress in Canaan to be assaulted. Rahab, a prostitute, protects them and is promised protection for herself and her family when the city falls if she would simply hang a red rope from her window; this was to be done as an act of faith in Yahweh./ The nation then crosses the Jordan River at flood stage (3:15). This is noteworthy because it would indeed take a miracle to get the nation across as described. The water stops flowing when the priests' feet touched it; this was to be done as an act of faith. This is reminiscent of the previous miracle of the crossing of the Red (Reed) Sea at the time of the Exodus. God now has faithfully brought the nation back into the land. Twelve stones are set as a memorial of the crossing to remind future generations of God's great act./ At Gilgal (5:9, near Jericho, closer to the Jordan) the nation prepares itself by circumcision and celebrating the Passover feast. Gilgal became their base of operations for several years. The manna ceased at this point. They are now to live off the land that God has provided for them./ he Lord gave Joshua the strategy: the army was to walk around the city once each day for six days. On the seventh day, they were to blow their trumpets and shout. You can imagine General Joshua thinking, "What a strange battle plan." And they no doubt suffered the taunts of the residents of Jericho for that week.
How is this narrative different than that in the book of Judges? (Week 9: Judges and Ruth)
While nearly everyone else in Israel was doing "what was right in his own eyes" (Jud 21:25), the characters in this story were doing what was right in God's eyes./ Some Hebrew Scriptures append this to the end of Judges, as a good example along with the two bad examples of the general spiritual condition of Israel./ provides a stark contrast to the pattern of sin
When God gave Solomon a request, what did Solomon ask for? (Week 12: 1 KIngs)
Wisdom
What was the example of this? (Week 12: 1 KIngs)
after the tragic death of a baby, one mother claims the baby of another mother—one woman's word against another's. Solomon demonstrated his wisdom (in this case, regarding human nature, and more specifically, a mother's nature), by declaring that the baby should be cut in half and one-half given to each woman. This brought out the love of the true mother who then begged that the baby not be put to death. Thus, Solomon knew who the real mother was.
According to modern scholarship? (Week 10: 1 Samuel)
an editor or redactor= Nathan and Gad
Jerusalem is also called the City of _______, and was originally located on Mt. Z_______. (Week 11: 2 Samuel)
became known as the City of David/ which was located on Mount Zion
What important people were taken into exile in each of those years? (Week 13: 2 Kings)
daniel, meshach, shadrach, and abednego
What was his primary sin (as well as that of his successors)? (Week 12: 1 KIngs)
eroboam established idolatrous worship in the form of golden calves in Bethel (in the south near the border with Judah) and in Dan (in the north)/ refused to repent
Who wrote the books of Judges and Ruth according to Jewish tradition? Does this seem to be the case? Why? (Week 9: Judges and Ruth)
ewish tradition (the Babylonian Talmud)= Samuel as the author, but this seems unlikely. Most scholars believe that these two books were written by unknown authors during the early part of the monarchy (~ 1000 B.C.) looking back on the days preceding the monarchy. This is suggested by the repeated phrase "in those days Israel had no king" in Judges 17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25 and references to David in Ruth 4:17, 22.
The religion of the Canaanites was a f__________ cult. What was the purpose of this worship? (Week 9: Judges and Ruth)
fertility cult their worship of Baal and Astarte was intended to persuade Baal to send rain and Astarte to grant fertility for the land, plants, and animals. The Canaanites believed that the sexual union between Baal and Astarte resulted in rainfall. Therefore, much sexual immorality was involved in this worship, including sacred prostitution.
What were Solomon's two basic sins (ch. 11)? (Week 12: 1 KIngs)
foreign women and false gods/ He married many Gentile women, contrary to God's explicit command, and he then became involved with their gods, along with Yahweh
What were David's primary sins (ch. 11)? What were the consequences (12:10-14)? (Week 11: 2 Samuel)
he was home lusting after Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, one of his officers (a Gentile/Hittite). He committed adultery with her, and she became pregnant. In order to cover it up, he sent Uriah to be with his wife, hoping that it would appear as though the baby was Uriah's. But when this plan failed, David engineered the death of Uriah and took Bathsheba as his wife. The amazing thing is that in this brief period of time, David broke half of the Ten Commandments (commandments six through ten prohibiting murder, adultery, stealing, lying, and coveting)
What were the sins of the nation of Israel at this time (3:6): inter___________ and i______________? (Week 9: Judges and Ruth)
intermarriage and idolatry (3:6)
What is known about the author of Esther? (Week 14: Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther)
probably a Jew living in Persia/ Not Ezra or Nehemiah or Mordecai
What did God give him along with it? (Week 12: 1 KIngs)
riches and honor
How does modern scholarship assess this? (Week 15: 1 & 2 Chronicles)
settle for some unknown author who lived during or just after Ezra's time. Whoever wrote the Chronicles was as much a compiler or editor as author. The books of Samuel and Kings are an apparent primary source, but selectively used to fit the editor's purpose (as we will see). Some of the genealogical material may have been added after the completion of the Chronicles as a whole.
How did God use the Canaanites who were allowed to remain in the Land (2:21-22; 3:1, 4)? (Week 9: Judges and Ruth)
the Lord allowed the Canaanite nations to stay in the land to test Israel as to whether they would obey God or not (2:21, 22; 3:1, 4)
What important building did Solomon build? (Week 12: 1 KIngs)
the Temple in Jerusalem
How many kings reigned over the Kingdom of Judah? How was their morality characterized? How many different dynasties? (Week 12: 1 KIngs)
the continuation of the Davidic dynasty in Judah with 19 kings and one illegitimate queen, some good and godly, but many wicked.
What happened on Mt. Carmel (ch. 18)? What happened to Elijah immediately after that? (Week 12: 1 KIngs)
the famous showdown on Mount Carmel with the prophets of Baal (18:17ff.). (The location is significant: 1. Mount Carmel was ancient "high place," devoted to idolatrous worship. 2. Specifically, it was then devoted to the worship of Baal, giving Baal "home court advantage" in what follows)/ A contest was designed: whichever god would send fire to consume a sacrifice would be the winner (18:21). The prophets of Baal went first, but after many hours (from morning until evening!), there was no response from Baal. Elijah's turn came, and in response to Elijah's simple prayer, the sacrifice, the altar, and even the water poured over it all to make it a real contest was completely consumed by fire from God. The winner was clear! In response, the people killed the prophets of Baal and the drought ended after 3 1/2 years. Elijah, however, had to flee due to a death threat by Jezebel (19:2-3) Significantly, after this incredible spiritual victory, Elijah became depressed and wanted to die (19:4, 10). So, God cared for him (fed him, gave him naps, and revealed Himself to Elijah) and gave him a friend, namely, Elisha= Successor
What did the nation not do regarding the inhabitants of Canaan which eventually led to their downfall? (Week 8: Joshua)
they by no means had expelled the Canaanites from the land as God had clearly told them to do (Numbers 33:50-56; Deuteronomy 31:3). The various tribes were to continue to do that (13:1ff), but failed. This led to their downfall through worshiping the gods of the Canaanites (the story of the book of Judges).
In what period did the book of Ruth take place? (Week 9: Judges and Ruth)
took place in the period of the Judges (1:1), but provides a stark contrast to the pattern of sin
According to the view presented in class, Gideon's fleece was or was not an act of faith? Why? (Week 9: Judges and Ruth)
was not an act of faith, as God had already clearly told Gideon what he was to do; therefore, this is not an example to follow. But God was gracious and granted what Gideon requested as well as a confirming dream of a Midianite which Gideon was allowed to overhear (7:13-15)
