A Look at Old Testament History

About This Product Students will see a panoramic view of some of the crucial reflections Israel had at the boundary (the Jordan River) of the Promised Land. We will hear again with them what it means to cross that boundary which separates our wilderness wanderings from life in the land. Also, through the stories of David and Solomon, students explore how two great men of God sadly succumb to the temptation to take God's place of promise in their lives for granted. Then they will examine the tragedy of Israel's downfall in exile and the glorious hope of a redeemer as proclaimed by the prophets and as fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ.

Lesson 1: Beginnings: Land and Pilgrimage--Examines the theme of pilgrimage as seen in the life of Abraham as recorded in Genesis and Hebrews. (Gen 12:1-5; 2 Sam 7:4-6; Ac 20:22; Heb 11: 8-16, 39)

Lesson 2: Early Israel: Reflections at the Boundary--Continues the exploration of the topic of land in the Bible, examining land as God's gift to us to be possessed. We will see that although land is always a gift, it is also a task, a temptation, and a challenge. (Selected scriptures from Deut)

Lesson 3: The Monarchy: From a Period of Glory to Downfall-- Looks at the effect land has on God's people; the sad truth is that just as God's landed people forgot what He had told them about remembering where they had come from, so, we, too, tend to forget our wilderness years through which God has led us. (Deut 17:14-20; 1 Sam 8:5, 11-20; 12:25; 2 Sam 7:8-11:11-12; 1 Ki 4; 8:12-13; 9:15-16; 11:1-5, 29-39)

Lesson 4: Tragedy and Hope: Exile, Restoration, and the Hope for a Deliverer--Hope can be ours in Christ. The tragedy is when we forget God in our passionate fever to be self-secure. We end up living in exile as a result of taking God for granted. (Prov 13:12; Is 40:31; Jer 17:7; 30:12-17; Ez 36:22-32; 48:35; Rom 4:18; 5:5; 15:13; Phi 3:13-14; Col 1:27; Heb 6:18b-19; 1 Pe 1:13) Topics: God's Gifts, God's Promise, God's Will, Hope, Old Testament, Pilgrimage