"For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." Romans 15:4

Old Testament history starts in Genesis with the beginning of man and the beginning of Israel. The beginning of man is described in four historic events ... creation, the fall, the flood, and the confusion of language at the Tower of Babel. The beginning of Israel is seen in four heroic men ... Abraham, Isaac, Jacob (Israel), and Joseph. Joseph's older brothers sold him into slavery in Egypt where he rose to second in command. He was reunited with his family when famine drove them to Egypt. The 12 tribes of Israel (the descendants of Jacob's 12 sons) prospered greatly in Egypt ... but were enslaved for 430 years after Joseph's death. God called Moses to deliver the Israelites out of bondage. He led them across the Red Sea ... and then on to Mt. Sinai (where God gave the Law).

The Israelites were numbered. They traveled north to Kadesh-Barnea and sent 12 spies into Canaan. The people believed the ten faithless spies and didn't enter the land. God condemned all those 20 years old and older (except the two good spies, Joshua and Caleb) to wander and die in the wilderness. Forty years later, on the east side of the Jordan on the plains of Moab, they were numbered again. Moses gave his final messages ... viewed the land from Mt. Nebo ... and died. Joshua led the Israelites into Canaan to conquer, divide, and settle the land. In the time of the Judges, the Israelites went through 17 cycles of failure. They sinned ... God judged them through outside oppression ... they repented ... God sent a judge to deliver them from their oppressors ... peace and forgetfulness followed ... and they repeated the cycle of sin.

Then the Israelites wanted a king because everyone else had one. They rejected God's rule (theocracy) and chose man's rule (monarchy). The united Kingdom was ruled by three kings ... Saul, then David, then Solomon. Because of Solomon's sins, the kingdom was divided into a Northern and a Southern Kingdom. The Northern Kingdom, Israel (ten tribes) was led by 19 bad kings before being taken captive into Assyria and dispersed. The Southern Kingdom, Judah (the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi), was led by a queen and 19 kings (some good and some bad). They were taken into a 70-year captivity in Babylonia through three deportations. The Israelites returned to Jerusalem after Babylonia fell to Persia. Zerubbabel led the first wave back and rebuilt the temple. Ezra led the second wave back and brought spiritual revival. Nehemiah brought the third wave back and rebuilt the walls. Four hundred years of Biblical silence separates Old Testament history and the birth of Jesus.

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THE OLD TESTAMENT 1   PAGES: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17     
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Disciplemaking 1, copyright 2003, is available free from www.MyDisciplemaker.org where you can study online or print free copies. You may copy this course, any any part of it, for free or at-cost distribution ... without change to the content ... and with this copyright policy attached. Published by www.ActsOneEight.org. Bible Quotations are from the NASB unless noted.