We examine the chronology of events in the Bible, as best that chronology can be determined from the witness of Scripture, and as backed up by archaeology. This study continues the line of instruction begun in the Revival Living Series above. All dates are approximations, and subject to some debates.
1.1: Creation Theology Setting the stage for understanding Creation as the foundation of Christian Theology.
1.2: Why Creation? God's purpose for humanity and Creation are revealed from the start.
1.3: In the Beginning -- The Garden of Eden What was this "Eden"?
1.4: The Fall -- Temptation Discussing the eternal elements of human temptation.
1.5: The Fall -- Hiding and Hides The nature of our broken fellowship with God.
1.6:After the Fall -- Divergence A gap opens up between two completely different lifestyles in ancient men.
1.7: The Flood -- Some little known facts about the story of Noah.
1.8: The Tower of Babel -- Most people miss the true significance of this story.
2.1: Birth of Redemption -- The transition from the Patriarchal Period to the beginning of Redemption's Story: Abraham.
2.2: Covenant of Abraham -- We examine the starting place from which Abraham began to face challenges to his faith.
2.3: Abraham, Lot and the Promise -- Abraham demonstrates the power of the promises of God, and rescues Lot slavery.
2.4: Abraham, Sodom and Abimelech -- Abraham learns of his high standing with God, and prays for mercy on Sodom. Yet he forgets again in dealing with Abimelech.
2.5: Abraham's Final Days -- In his final test of trust in God, Abraham stands as a giant of faith.
2.6: Isaac -- There is less drama in the tale of Isaac, for he simply obeyed somewhat better than his father Abraham.
2.7: Jacob -- The moving story of how one man grew from being a schemer to a wise follower of God.
2.8: Joseph -- One of the most well written portions of the Old Testament, the story of Joseph shows God always keeps His promises.
3.1: Israel Enslaved -- So much happened between the life of Joseph and birth of Moses, yet details are hard to find. We find Moses as a younger man torn between two identities.
3.2: Moses versus Pharaoh -- We examine the nature of the conflict between God's man Moses and the Ruler of Egypt.
3.3: The Plagues on Egypt -- God's plan of deliverance for His people included the destruction of one of the world's greatest ancient empires.
3.4: The Exodus -- The unforgettable story of Israel departing Egypt under the leadership of Moses.
3.5: Before Mt. Sinai -- A description of the Giving of the Law.
3.6: Rebellion on the Way -- We see why it was Stephen in the New Testament says that the Nation of Israel is a particualarly hard-headed and difficult people.
3.7: 40 Years' Wandering -- The generation that died in the Wilderness had wandering hearts, but their children learned to be faithful while living as nomads.
4.1: Conquest Begins -- The first steps to possessing the Promised Land included some missteps.
4.2: The Southern Campaign -- It mattered little what strategic plans Joshua might have had. God worked through the enemies of Israel to bring about a conquest of the south first.
4.3: The Northern Campain -- The northern half of Canaan was taken without significant fuss. As usual, the enemy played into Joshua's hands.
5.1: Bad Beginning -- The passing of Joshua from the scene brings a loss of the original resolve. A new generation arises lacking the sense of calling to clear the land of sin.
5.2: Early Judges -- The first few judges establish the pattern for what a judge would be, in bringing to bear God's judgment against sin. This typically included warring against invaders.
5.3: Gideon and Midianites -- A favorite story from the Old Testament tells how one man rises up to act righteously, leads the people to victory, then abuses his new fame and power.
5.4: Abimelech ben Gideon -- While Gideon had his flaws, his illegitimate son was downright evil.
5.5: Jephthah -- Another illegitimate son, this one is truly noble, rising from near criminal status to judge of his nation.
5.6: Samson, Part 1 -- The early life of a true hero. Samson was also a man deeply flawed.
5.7: Samson, Part 2 -- While his exploits of physical strength were astounding, in his final hour he killed more enemy than during his whole life before that time.
5.8: Migration of Dan -- Here we have explained two things: how there came to be a City of Dan in the far north of Canaanland, and how it became so hideously pagan.
5.9: Crime of Gibeah and Civil War -- The Benjamites in the tribal capital of Gibeah are taken with a pagan cult. Their filthy actions are the cause of a civil war in Israel.
5.10: The Story of Ruth -- A young Moabite woman willingly sacrifices her personal wishes for a critical part in God's redemption of Israel.
6.1: The Passing of the Old Guard -- The birth and training of Samuel: Prophet, Priest and Judge.
6.2: Samuel Established -- At the cost of losing the Temple of his day, Samuel is established thoroughly as a true prophet of God.
6.3: Breaking the Philistines -- The Philistines make the mistake of assuming Jehovah is like any other deity. This mistake costs them more than they realize.
6.4: Saul is Chosen as King -- A man who thought simply to help his father find some wandering livestock finds himself being crowned king of his people.
6.5: Saul Begins to Reign -- In his first act as king, Saul rescues a city from invading Ammonites.
6.6: Defeat in Victory -- A major victory over the Philistines is paired with a total personal defeat for Saul.
6.7: Saul's End Begins -- Saul demonstrates beyond all doubt he cares more for the what people think of him than what God thinks.
6.8: David's Rising Star -- The famous story of David and Goliath is given its proper setting.
6.9: David and Jonathan -- Just as the covenant of these two men reaches maturity, circumstances demand they part company. Even so, it remains the model for true spiritual fellowship today.
6.10: David Goes Underground -- Fleeing for his life, David tries various refuges. In the process, he manages to draw around him a small army.
6.11: The War that Wasn't -- David demonstrates in several ways that he is not a threat to Saul, even sparing his life while on the run.
6.12: Company of Fools -- David comes close to killing the entire household of a man named "Fool" before once again dealing with Saul's foolishness.
6.13: Out of Reach -- In exasperation, David flees to Philistia, and enters the service of Achish, lord of Gath. Meanwhile, Saul consorts with a necromancer.
6.14: Saul Passes -- David is dismissed from the Philistine army and goes home to rescue his family. In a battle between the Philistines and Israel, Saul and his sons die.
7.1: King of Judah -- David is first recongized as king by the Tribe of Judah (and Simeon) in Hebron. Abner asserts a competing claim for Saul's one surviving heir, and there is a battle in the cause.
7.2: A Partial Judge -- In the very act of establishing his rule over Judah, David demonstrates that he cannot be impartial in judging the crimes of those close to him.
7.3: Crown and Throne -- David begins his reign over the whole nation with a bang. The entire nation gathers to him, allowing him to take the old Jebusite fortress as his capital, and crush the Philistines one last time.
7.4: God's Throne in Zion, Too -- David brought the Ark of Covenant into Jerusalem, then planned to build a temple. God had other plans for David.
7.5: Conquering Lands and Hearts -- After hearing from God on the matter, David immediately sets out the fulfill God's calling of conqueror. He dominates several bordering kingdoms while keeping his covenant promise to Jonathan.
7.6: Losing While Winning -- David receives a grave insult from Ammon and goes to war -- quite successfully, of course. Meanwhile, he stoops to killing a man to cover up adultery.
7.7: Out of Control -- David's lack of self-discipline in personal matters comes back to haunt him through his first two sons.
7.8: Absalom Plots Revolt -- Not conent with mere forgiveness from his father, Absalom plots to usurp the throne and kill David.
7.9: Friends and Enemies -- Everything between the two men, Absalom and David, depends much on the support and advice of friends. David gets good support, but Absalom falls for bad advice.
7.10: Victory and Grief -- David's forces win the battle, but David loses Absalom.
7.11: Peace Never Comes -- David resumes the throne just in time to face another revolt, then has to contend with more Philistine uprisings.
7.12: Sin and the Temple -- David is provoked to sin and orders a census. The sacrificial act that ends God's wrath drives home the need for building the Temple near Jerusalem.
8.1: David Retires, Solomon Reigns -- It seems David kept hoping Solomon would be able to build the temple before it was necessary to pass the throne to him. A conspirarcy by Adonijah to seize the throne force his hand.
8.2: More Royal Intrigues -- Solomon spends his first few days on the throne carrying out his father's wishes for justice, and shutting down various challenges to his rule.
8.3: Solomon's Temple -- Beginning his rule in about 970 AD, Solomon soon began building the Temple, and his own palace. He never stopped building, and the cost was crushing to the Nation of Israel.
8.4: Wisdom, Power and Wealth -- During the first half of his reign, Solomon managed to bankrupt the royal treasury. After a lesson in economics from his friend Hiram of Tyre, Solomon spent the second half of his reign becoming one of the richest and most powerful men in history.
8.5: Folly of the Wise -- As Solomon ages on the throne, he departs ever more from God's ways. The Lord therefore decides to divide the kingdom between Solomon's heir and someone serving in his court.
9.1: Messages from God -- God shows His patience with the kings of Judah and Israel. The former, while hardly a good man, nonetheless listens and is saved from wrath. The latter refuses to listen, and dooms his realm along with himself.
9.2: Judgment on Jeroboam -- When it really matters, Jeroboam knows who really is God. By the time he seeks Jehovah, it is too late. His son dies of illness, and his troops suffer a disasterous loss in battle against Judah.
9.3: Asa the Good King of Judah -- For most of his reign, Asa determined to follow the Lord. This made for a long and prosperous reign.
9.4: Israel's Kings While Asa Ruled Judah -- During the long reign of Asa, Israel passed quickly through the last year of Jeroboam, Nadab, Baasha, Elah, Zimri, Tibni and saw the start of Omri's rule.
9.5: Elijah and the Drought -- We are introduced to Elijah, an enigmatic prophet known for being fleet of foot, gruff and brusque at times, and fervent in his service of Jehovah. His first mission here is to show Ahab, the son of Omri, that God was not like a politician to be voted out of office.
9.6: Elijah and Ahab Get New Missions -- Elijah has to handle a sudden attack of depression, then gets a new mission from God, to include reinstituting the School of the Prophets in Israel. Ahab is called to destroy Syria, but fails.
9.7: Ahab's End -- Having been offered too many chances to repent, Ahab is deceived and tempted into a war that was fatal to him. His end is both poetic and precisely according to prophecy.
9.8: The Reigns of Jehoshaphat and Ahaziah -- Ahab was succeeded by Ahaziah, who was only slightly less evil. He tried to continue relations with Jehoshaphat of Judah, but the latter learned to stay clear. A bit later, Judah faced a major battle and won in a miraculous and highly unusual way.
9.9: Elijah Hands off to Elisha -- In the midst of all this intrigue, Elijah retires by simply riding off into Heaven in God's chariot. Elisha takes his place, and does his own share of revealing miracles. He faces a King of Israel only a little less hostile than Ahab.
9.10: Elisha in War and Peace -- Elisha continues the ministry of calling Israel back to her One and Only True God, Jehovah. The new King of Israel, Jehoram is better, but still views God through political eyes.
9.11: Elisha and Israel's Peril -- Drought and war come to Israel. This war is not God's doing, so the enemy suffers setbacks through the ministry of Elisha.
9.12: Syria and Judah Decline -- Elisha's ministry reaches far, guiding Syria to a new king, but one sadly more evil than his precedecessor. Jehoshaphat of Judah dies, and his son becomes a creature of the Omride Dynasty in Israel.
9.13: Judgment and Chaos -- Taking advantage of Syria's political chaos, the kings of Judah and Israel re-take Ramoth-gilead. It costs them some serious injuries, and while the two are recovering together, they are perfectly in place for God's move to send judgment on both.
9.14: Divided Monarchy Goes Downhill -- Jehu completes his mission from God, but goes too far. Queen Mother Athaliah seizes the throne of Judah, but is finally executed in favor of a new king.
9.15: Syrian Threat Continues -- The new King of Judah starts strong and rules long, but sins wickedly when his mentor passes away. Meanwhile, Jehu dies and two more generations succeed him, finally breaking the grip of Syria over Gilead. We also note the passing of Elisha.
9.16: Depths and Recovery -- Amaziah of Judah has a very brief career due to sin and very bad judgment, but lives quite a while after his de fact dethronement. His successor, Uzziah, was quite able to rule, and brought back some of the properity of Solomon. Sadly, he suffered some of the arrogance, too.
9.17: First Round of Prophets in Scripture -- We've had two individual prophets mentioned so far as published in the Old Testament, but this lesson brings three at once. We also look at the career of Jeroboam II.
9.18: Spiritual Nadir -- Both kingdoms of the Nation of Israel suffer a series of disasters and defeats. Assyria comes back for a very big cut of the action, and makes vassals of both kingdoms.
9.19: Samaria Falls, Judah Rises -- The Kingdom of Israel finally falls and is removed forever. At the same time Judah rises on the resolve of Hezekiah to serve the Lord God.
10.1: Hezekiah Renews the Covenant -- Hezekiah is called by God to re-establish the full Temple service. He is also called to break the yoke of Assyria, but goes about it all wrong.
10.2: Manasseh and Amon -- In yet another reversal, Manasseh and his heir bring Judah to the lowest depths of pagan depravity, and submit willingly to Assyria.
10.3: Josiah's Reforms -- One last hurrah for righteousness as Josiah turns with a whole heart to the Lord. Sadly, the punishment for past national sins is already on the way.
10.4: Jeremiah and the End -- A review of Jeremiah's prophecy and life, followed by the quick end of the Kingdom of Judah.
11.1: Exile -- Little is given in Scripture regarding the Period of Babylonian Exile. Much of what we do have comes from Ezekiel and Daniel.
11.2: Exiles Return -- We follow the small group of Jews who accept the offer of Emperor Cyrus to return to their homes in Judah. Cyrus bids them rebuild the Temple and join all nations in praying for him.
11.3: Rebuilding the Temple -- After a 15 year delay, the returned Jews renew their effort to build the Second Temple under the prodding of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. In their writings, we also have the birth of Jewish Messianic Expectations.
11.4: Esther -- While her place in the Bible is disputed, the story of Esther would be sorely missed if absent. When placed in the context of the times, the story become richer still.
11.5: Ezra Comes to Jerusalem -- Sensing a great need in the Jews now living in Judah, Ezra secures an imperial decree to back his reforms. Bringing with him a large entourage of Levites and Nethinim (Temple servants), Ezra describes his personal efforts to bring revival to the Land.
11.6: Nehemiah Comes to Help -- The City of Jerusalem suffered an attack that destroyed their defenses. When Nehemiah learned of this, while serving as the Emperor's Wine Taster, he prayed that Jehovah would send him to relieve the city's distress. With a commission from Artaxerxes, he goes to Judah as governor.
11.7: The Wall Is Built -- Despite threats from the outside, and political instability inside, Nehemiah leads the Jews through a lightening fast project to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
11.8: Final Covenant Renewal -- A series of holy days hold the people in Jerusalem a while, ending in the dedication of the city wall. During a break in governing, while Nehemiah returns to the Imperial Court, the reforms are quickly forgotten, requiring harsh measures to reinstate when he returns.
11.9: Malachi -- The last published word from from God in the Old Testament warns of the sins that caused Him to go silent for the next 400 years.
12.1: Greek Empire -- Alexander the Great defeats Persia, but quickly leaves his empire split between four successors. Two of them tussle over Judea, but there is an even greater change taking place within Jewish religion.
12.2: Maccabean Period -- In revolt against the oppression of Antiochus IV, a priestly family rose up to lead a guerilla war against the Syrians. Judea eventually gained independence for a time, but simple political in-fighting resulted in Herod murdering his way to the throne, with the help of Rome.
12.3: Messianic Expectations -- Over the centuries, Jews had formed a teaching regarding the Messiah to come. We explore the basic elements of this teaching, in order to understand some of what Jesus faced in His ministry.
Footnote: Biblical Body Counts -- A particularly difficult and contentious issue is the accuracy of various counts of people under different circumstances.
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