Getting to Know the Old Testament Conversation Starters

Getting to Know the Old Testament

Conversation Starters New Testament Christian Beliefs Christian Living Occasional Conversations Women’s Bible Studies Old Testament

Where are the Ten Commandments found? In the Book of Commandments In Exodus In Genesis In Deuteronomy

True or False: Daniel lived before Esther

The Tabernacle: Was later replaced by the temple Was built in the center of the Garden of Eden Was where Moses offered sacrifices Was carefully constructed of gopher wood

In Genesis, God: Commanded Moses to be fruitful & multiply Created the world in seven days Created people as vegetarians Condemned Abel for killing Cain

The last book of the OT is: Genesis Malachi Micah Haggai

True or False: David was Israel’s first king

Joshua Has the same name as our Lord Leads his people to victory over the Egyptians Is smitten by the beautiful Rebecca Is the first “Judge” of Israel

Haggai Is the name of Moses’ brother-in-law Warns the people over a coming locust invasion Is angry because people are decorating their houses Is upset over the complacency of the nation of Israel

God’s people end up in Egypt because Herod was killing all boys under age 2 Moses was raised in the household of the Pharaoh Their ancestors were starving and found food there They hired out as laborers for the Pharaoh

Strange wheels with eyes around their rims appear in Isaiah Ezekiel Zechariah 2 Hezekiah

Getting to Know the Old Testament

Groups: What’s your background in reading the OT? How familiar with it are you? • I could pretty much describe the content of each OT book • I could describe the content of maybe half of the OT’s books • I could give you a rough idea of what’s in the OT in general • My familiarity with the OT ranges somewhere between none and next-to-none

Bible = Biblos Testament = Agreement; covenant

Hebrew Division: 24 Books The Law (5) The Prophets (8) The Writings (11) “The Law of Moses and the Prophets and Psalms must be fulfilled. ” Luke 24. 44 Canon = “Rule”

Narrative Poetry Didactic Sayings Prophecy Law code Letters

Septuagint Alexandria: 300 -200 BC

Antiquity Culture and Setting Language

Chronology Bible not written as a typical history book! The books in the Bible do not appear in chronological order!

Chronology Early Bronze: 3000 -2100 BC Middle Bronze: 2100 -1550 BC Late Bronze: 1550 -1200 BC Iron Age I: 1200 -900 BC Iron Age II: 900 -600 BC Iron Age III: 600 -300 BC

Chronology The Primeval Era: Genesis 1 -11 The Patriarchal Period: Genesis 12 -50 Abraham: Gen 12 -25 Isaac: Gen 25 -36 Jacob and the 12 (Joseph): Gen 37 -50 The Life of Moses: Exodus through Deuteronomy Possessing the Land of Canaan: Joshua and Judges The Early Monarchy: 1, 2 Samuel – 1 Kings; 1, 2 Chronicles

Chronology The Divided Kingdoms: 2 Kings; 2 Chronicles Jeroboam rebels against Solomon and after Solomon’s death breaks away to form Israel with 10 of 12 tribes; Rehoboam forms Judah with the other two tribes. Northern Kingdom decimated by Assyria in 722 The Babylonian Exile: Babylon conquers Assyria and takes over Judah The Restoration: Depicted by Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai, & Malachi (Persia later takes over and releases the Jews)

“In his desire to reveal himself and make himself knowable to mankind, he selected one small race out of the whole mass of humanity, and subjected it to intensive interaction and dialogue with himself in such a way that he might mould and shape this people in the service of his self-revelation. ” TF Torrance, The Mediation of Christ