1. The Historical Books
Dr. Rich Denning .

2. OT “Historical” Books Hebrew Bible classifications:
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1, 2 Samuel
1, 2 Kings
1, 2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Hebrew Bible classifications:
Red=“former prophets”
Black=“writings”
Dr. Rich Denning

3. “Conquest of the Land and Allotting to the Tribes”
Joshua (24 chapters)
“Conquest of the Land and Allotting to the Tribes”
Dr. Rich Denning

4. Mediterranean Sea Moab Succoth Edom Sinai Ezion Geber Mt. Sinai
Midian
Mt. Sinai
Dr. Rich Denning
Red Sea

5. About Joshua Son of Nun Minister and associate of Moses
A spy (Joshua and Caleb)
Farewell address Ch. 24
Dr. Rich Denning

6. Conquest of Canaan
Crossing the Jordan River into the land (“Get your feet wet”)
Jericho: The key base of operations
The Central Campaign Ai
The Five Kings in the Valley of Aijalon
The Southern Campaign
Libnah, Lachish, Eglon, Hebron, Debir, etc.
The Northern Campaign
Hazor, Kedesh, Acshaph
Dr. Rich Denning

7. Division of the Land: The 12 Tribes
Note Carefully:
Joseph is split into two half-tribes, headed by his sons Ephraim and Manasseh.
The Levites have no land, for the Lord is their inheritance (Josh. 13:33).
Simeon is later absorbed into Judah.
Dan later moves north to escape opposition.
Dr. Rich Denning

8. Book about Failure “Cycles”
Judges (21 chapters)
Book about Failure
“Cycles”
Dr. Rich Denning

9. Cycle of Oppression and Redemption
Prosperity and Apostasy
Oppression
Judge/Deliverer
Cry Out - Repent
Dr. Rich Denning

10. Major Judges of Israel What they did Oppressor Length of Oppression
Length of Peace
Served Baal
8 years
40 years
Evil
18 years
80 years
20 years
7 years
6 years +
Cushan-Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia
Othniel
Eglon king of Moab
Ehud (left-handed)
Jabin king of Canaan, Sisera his general
Deborah, Barak, Jael
Midianites
Gideon
Philistines and Ammonites
Jephthah
Philistines
Samson

11. Ruth (4 chapters)
“Kinsmen Redeemer”
Dr. Rich Denning

12. Ruth’s Family Elimelech and Naomi (From Bethlehem in Judah)
Moved to Moab during a famine in time of Judges
Two sons, Mahlon and Kilion
Mahlon and Kilion married Orpah and Ruth, both Moabitesses
Ruth married Boaz, from Bethlehem
Obed
Jesse
David and the Messianic line
Dr. Rich Denning

13. 1 Samuel (31 chapters)
Saul’s Reign
Dr. Rich Denning

14. The End of the Period of Judges
Elkanah, Hannah, and Samuel contrasted with Eli’s Sons, Phinehas and Hophni (chs. 1-3)
Faithfulness in the midst of the lawlessness of Judges
The loss of the ark (ch. 4)
God’s judgment on lawlessness (“Ichabod”)
The Philistines and the ark (chs. 5-6)
The awful seriousness of God’s presence
The people’s desire for a king (ch. 8)
A longing to be like other nations
A rejection of God’s kingship
Dr. Rich Denning

15. Saul and David The People’s King God’s King Looks the part (10:23)
Has a semblance of humility (10:22)
Oppresses the people (8:10-18)
Looks at the situation rather than at God (10:8 and 13:7-12)
Is rejected by God (13:13-14; 15:1-29)
God’s King
The youngest of his family; does not look the part (16:11-12)
Values the honor of God (17:45-7)
Values his enemy Saul because God has anointed him king (chs. 24, 26)
Intensely loyal to his friend Jonathan (18:1, 20)
Dr. Rich Denning

16. 2 Samuel (24 chapters)
“David’ Reign”
Dr. Rich Denning

17. David’s Family, David’s Downfall
Wife Children
Michal (Saul’s daughter)
Ahinoam Amnon
Abigail (Nabal’s widow) Kileab
Maacah Absalom, Tamar
Haggith Adonijah
Abitail Shephatiah
Eglah Ithream
Bathsheba (Uriah’s widow) “X,” Solomon
Dr. Rich Denning

18. The Kings and Kingdoms
Overview
Dr. Rich Denning

19. Overview of the Kingdom(s)
United Kingdom (Saul, David, Solomon)
Ca – 930 B.C.
Northern Kingdom (Israel)
B.C.
20 kings
None who did right in the sight of the Lord
Southern Kingdom (Judah)
B.C.
8 who did right in the sight of the Lord
Dr. Rich Denning

20. Overview of the Kings
Doing right in the sight of the Lord meant remaining faithful to the covenant.
Principally: Hezekiah and Josiah
To a lesser degree: Asa, Jehoshaphat, Jehoash, Amaziah, Azariah, and Jotham
Doing evil in the sight of the Lord meant…
violating the second commandment by making images.
(Jeroboam and all of Israel’s kings)
violating the first commandment by worshiping Baal.
(Ahab, Manasseh, and others)
Dr. Rich Denning

21. Kings of the Divided Kingdom
Israel
Judah
First King
Jeroboam
(930 B.C.)
Rehoboam
Last King
Hoshea
(722 B.C.)
Zedekiah
(586 B.C.)
Best Kings
__________
Hezekiah (715), Josiah (640)
Least Bad Kings
Jehu (841), Jeroboam II (793)
Worst King
Ahab (874)
Manasseh (697)
Dr. Rich Denning

22. Samuel/Kings vs. Chronicles
Samuel/ Kings Chronicles
More events described More extended speeches
Positive and negative por- Positive portrayal of David
trait of David/Solomon and Solomon
Focus on Israel Focus on Judah
Written for exilic commun- Written for the post-exilic com-
ity to explain why the munity to explain that God
exiles took place was still faithful to covenant
Dr. Rich Denning

23. 1 and 2 Kings (22 and 25 chapters)
(Meek, pp )
Dr. Rich Denning

24. Why did God allow the exiles?
The people did not consolidate worship of the one God in the one place commanded (Deut. 12).
Notice the prominence of the Temple (1 Kings 8).
But the kings did not remove the high places.
Jeroboam even set up new centers of worship aside from the Temple, at Dan and Bethel (1 Kings 12).
Dr. Rich Denning

25. Why did God allow the exiles?
The people did not consolidate worship of the one God in the one place commanded (Deut. 12).
The kings did not obey God’s law for the king. (Deut. 17:14-20)
Not to have dealings with Egypt
Not to take many wives
Not to seek wealth
To revere the Lord and his Law
Solomon broke all of these laws (1 Kings 10-11)
The crucial book of Deuteronomy was actually lost for several hundred years (2 Kings 22).
Dr. Rich Denning

26. Why did God allow the exiles?
The people did not consolidate worship of the one God in the one place commanded (Deut. 12).
The kings did not obey God’s law for the king. (Deut. 17:14-20)
In fulfillment of prophecy dealing with God’s anger at sin (Deut. 13, 18)
Elijah and Elisha (See esp. 1 Kings 18.)
Foreigners often recognize the presence of God more than Israel does. (See 2 Kings 5.)
Dr. Rich Denning

27. Why did God allow the exiles?
The people did not consolidate worship of the one God in the one place commanded (Deut. 12).
The kings did not obey God’s law for the king. (Deut. 17:14-20)
In fulfillment of prophecy dealing with God’s anger at sin (Deut. 13, 18)
In fulfillment of covenant curses (Deut. 27-8)
See 2 Kings 17:7-13.
Dr. Rich Denning

28. Is there hope for the exiles?
Yes!
The Davidic line continues, even though the Davidic kingship has ended (2 Kings 25:27-30).
God did not fail; we did.
But we can be faithful to the covenant now.
Dr. Rich Denning

29. 1 and 2 Chronicles (29 and 36 chapters)
(Meek, p. 14)
Dr. Rich Denning

30. Has God been unfaithful to his covenant people?
No!
God has given the Ark and the priesthood (1 Chron. 13, 15-16).
God has given the Davidic line (1 Chron. 1-9, 17).
God has given the Temple (1 Chron. 29, 2 Chron. 2-7).
God has given the Law, with blessings and curses (2 Chron. 7:13-22).
God has given good kings as types of the coming Davidide, the Messiah.
Dr. Rich Denning

31. Major Empires in the Ancient World
Assyria (ca. 900 B.C. – 612 B.C.)
Babylon (612 B.C. – 539 B.C.)
Defeated Assyrians in 612 B.C.
Defeated Egyptians in 605 B.C.
Persia (539 B.C. – 331 B.C.)
Gained control of Media in 549 B.C.
Conquered Babylon in 539 B.C.
Allowed nations captured by Babylon to return to their homelands in 538 B.C.
Struggled with Greece for control of Asia Minor for most of the 5th and 4th centuries B.C., and finally fell to Greece in 331 B.C.

32. Tigris
Nineveh
Euphrates
Damascus
Susa
Babylon
Samaria Ur
Dr. Rich Denning

33. Rebuilders after the Exile
Zerubbabel rebuilt the Temple.
Ezra restored the worship and practice according the the Law.
Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem.
Dr. Rich Denning

34. Ezra (10 chapters)
(Meek, p. 15)
Dr. Rich Denning

35. The Book of Ezra First Wave Second Wave Cyrus King of Persia Ezra
Zerubbabel and Jeshua (Joshua in Haggai)
Sons of Asaph
Xerxes
Darius
Ezra
Artexerxes
The people were intermarrying!!!
Divorced their foreign wives
Dr. Rich Denning

36. Nehemiah (13 chapters)
(Meek, p. 15)
Dr. Rich Denning

37. The Book of Nehemiah Susa Artexerxes Sanballat the Horonite
Tobiah the Ammonite
Geshem the Arab
Eliashib
Dr. Rich Denning

38. Esther (10 chapters)
(Meek, p. 15)
Dr. Rich Denning

39. The Book of Esther Xerxes Vashti Esther Mordecai Haman Purim
Dr. Rich Denning