SECOND STUDY
Old Testament History
The divine revelation which the Bible contains is given in the form of a history. God revealed his plan of saving men not in a system of doctrine, but in the record of his dealings with the world at large, and especially with one people. To understand this revelation it is necessary for us to view the great stream of history contained in the Bible. Our study on this subject will include the principal events from the creation of man, at a date unknown, to the birth of Christ.[1]
Part One
We begin by dividing the entire field of time to the opening of the New Testament into five periods. Each of these we write at the head of a column. (See the Blackboard Outline.)
| I. | The Period of the Human Race. |
| II. | The Period of the Chosen Family. |
| III. | The Period of the Is´ra-el-ite People. |
| IV. | The Period of the Is´ra-el-ite Kingdom. |
| V. | The Period of the Jew´ish Province. |
I. We find in the opening of the Bible that the Human Race is the subject of the history. This theme extends through the first eleven chapters of Genesis, which narrate the history of much more than half of the time included in the Bible. During this long period no one tribe or nation or family is selected; but the story of all mankind is related by the historian.
1. This period begins with the Creation of Man (not the creation of the world), at some unknown time which scholars have not been able to fix; and it ends with the Call of A´bra-ham, also at a date uncertain, though given with some doubt at about B. C. 2280. With this event Bible history properly begins.
2. Through this period it would appear that God dealt with each person directly, without mediation or organized institutions. We read of neither priest nor ruler, but we find God speaking individually with men. (See Gen. 3. 9; 4. 6; 5. 22; 6. 13; and let the class find other instances.) We call this, therefore, the period of Direct Administration.
3. All the events of this period may be connected with three epochs:
1.) The Fall (Gen. 3. 6), which brought sin into the world (Rom. 5. 12), and resulted in universal wickedness (Gen. 6. 5).
2.) The Deluge (Gen. 7. 11, 12). By this destruction the entire population of the world, probably confined to the Eu-phra´tes valley, was swept away (Gen. 7. 23), and opportunity was given for a new race under better conditions (Gen. 9. 18, 19).
3.) The Dispersion (Gen. 10. 25). Hitherto the race had massed itself in one region, and hence the righteous families were overwhelmed by their evil surroundings. But after the deluge an instinct of migration took possession of families, and soon the whole earth was overspread.
4. In this period we call attention to three of its most important Persons:
1.) Ad´am, the first man (Gen. 5. 1, 2). His creation, fall, and history are briefly narrated.
2.) E´noch, who walked with God (Gen. 5. 24), and was translated without dying.
3.) No´ah, the builder of the ark (Gen. 6. 9), and the father of a new race.
Hints to the Teacher
Let the teacher place the outline of the period on the blackboard, point by point, as the lesson proceeds, and let the class do the same on paper or in notebooks. Let every Scripture text be read in the class by a student, and let its bearing be shown. Call upon members of the class to give more complete account of the events and the persons named, and for this purpose let the first eleven chapters of Genesis be assigned in advance as a reading lesson.
Blackboard Outline
| I. Per. Hu .Ra. | II. Per. Ch. Fam. | III. Per. Is. Peo. | IV. Per. Is. Kin. | V. Per. Je. Prov. |
| C. M. C. A. | ||||
| Dir. Adm. | ||||
| Fa. Del. Dis. | ||||
| A. E. N. |
Review Questions
What is the central theme of the Bible? How is this theme presented in the Bible? Why should we study the history in the Bible? What are the five periods of Old Testament history? What is the subject of the history during the first period? With what events does the first period begin and end? What is said concerning the dates of early events? What kind of divine government in relation to men is shown in the first period? Into what epochs is the first period subdivided? What results followed the first man's falling into sin? Where was the population of the world confined up to the time of the flood? How did the flood become a benefit to the world? What new instinct came to the human family after the flood? Name three important persons in the first period? State a fact for which each of these three men is celebrated.
Part Two
II. A new chapter in Bible history opens at Gen. 12. 1. Here we find one family of the race is selected and made the subject of the divine revelation. This was not because God loved one family more than others, but because the world's salvation was to be wrought through that family (Gen. 12. 2, 3). Hence we call this the Period of the Chosen Family.
1. This period extends from the Call of A´bra-ham (Gen. 12. 1), B. C. 2280?, to the Exodus from E´gypt, B. C. 1270?.
2. In this period we notice the recognition of the family. God deals with each family or clan through its head, who is at once the priest and the ruler (Gen. 17. 7; 18. 19; 35. 2). We call this period, therefore, that of the Patriarchal Administration.
3. We subdivide this period into three epochs:
1.) The Journeyings of the Patriarchs (Gen. 12. 5; 13. 17, 18; 20. 1, etc.). As yet the chosen family had no dwelling place, but lived in tents, moving throughout the land of promise.
2.) The Sojourn in E´gypt. In the lifetime of the patriarch Ja´cob, but at a date unknown, the Is´ra-el-ite family went down to E´gypt, not for a permanent home, but a "sojourn," which lasted, however, many centuries (Gen. 46. 5-7; 50. 24).
3.) The Oppression of the Is´ra-el-ites. Toward the close of the sojourn the Is´ra-el-ite family, now grown into a multitude (Exod. 1. 7), endured cruel bondage from the E-gyp´tians (Exod. 1.13, 14). This was overruled to promote God's design, and led to their departure from E´gypt, which is known as "the exodus," or going out.
4. From the names of men in this period we select the following:
1.) A´bra-ham, the friend of God (James 2. 23).
2.) Ja´cob, the prince of God (Gen. 32. 28).
3.) Jo´seph, the preserver of his people (Gen. 45. 5).
Blackboard Outline
| I. Per. Hu. Ra. | II. Per. Ch. Fam. | III. Per. Is. Peo. | IV. Per. Is. Kin. | V. Per. Je. Prov. |
| C. M. C. A. | C. A. E. E. | |||
| Dir. Adm. | Patr. Adm. | |||
| Fa. Del. Dis. | Jou. Pat. Soj. Eg. Opp. Isr. | |||
| A. E. N. | A. J. J. |
Review Questions
What is the name of the second period? Why is it so named? With what events does the second period begin and end? What kind of divine administration do we notice in the second period? Into what three epochs is the second period divided? What were the beneficial results of the bondage in E´gypt upon the Is´ra-el-ites? Name three persons of the second period? For what fact or trait is each of these three persons distinguished?
Part Three
III. When the Is´ra-el-ites went out of E´gypt a nation was born, and the family became a state, with all the institutions of government. Therefore we call this the Period of the Is´ra-el-ite People.
1. It opens with the Exodus from E´gypt, B. C. 1270? (Exod. 12. 40-42), and closes with the Coronation of Saul, B. C. 1050?.
2. During this period the government of the Is´ra-el-ites was peculiar. The Lord was their only King (Judg. 8. 23), but there was a priestly order for religious service (Exod. 28. 1), and from time to time men were raised up by a divine appointment to rule, who were called judges (Judg. 2. 16). This constituted the Theocratic Administration, or a government by God.
3. We subdivide this period as follows:
1.) The Wandering in the Wilderness. This was a part of God's plan, and trained the Is´ra-el-ites for the conquest of their land (Exod. 13. 17, 18). It lasted for forty years (Deut. 8. 2).
2.) The Conquest of Ca´naan, which immediately followed the crossing of the Jordan (Josh. 3. 14-17). The war was vigorously carried on for a few years, but the land was only seemingly conquered, for the native races remained upon the soil, and in some places were dominant until the time of Da´vid.
3.) The Rule of the Judges. From the death of Josh´u-a, B. C. 1200?, the people were directed by fifteen judges, not always in direct succession.
4. This period has been justly called "the Age of the Heroes"; and from many great men we choose the following:
1.) Mo´ses, the founder of the nation (Deut. 34. 10-12).
2.) Josh´u-a, the conqueror of Ca´naan (Josh. 11. 23).
3.) Gid´e-on, the greatest of the judges (Judg. 8. 28).
4.) Sam´u-el, the last of the judges (1 Sam. 12. 1, 2).
Blackboard Outline
| I. Per. Hu. Ra. | II. Per. Ch. Fam. | III. Per. Is. Peo. | IV. Per. Is. Kin. | V. Per. Je. Prov. |
| C. M. C. A. | C. A. E. E. | E. E. C. S. | ||
| Dir. Adm. | Patr. Adm. | The. Adm. | ||
| Fa. Del. Dis. | Jou. Pat. Soj. Eg. Opp. Isr. | Wan. Wil. Con. Can. Ru. Jud. | ||
| A. E. N. | A. J. J. | M. J. G. S. |
Review Questions
What is the third period of Bible history called? With what events did it begin and end? How was Is´ra-el governed during this period? What are its subdivisions? How many judges governed the Is´ra-el-ites after Josh´u-a? Name four important persons of the third period. State for what each of these persons was distinguished.
Part Four
IV. With the reign of the first king a new period opens. We now study the history of the Is´ra-el-ite Kingdom. The kingdom was divided after the reign of three kings, but even after the division it was regarded as one kingdom, though in two parts.
1. This period extends from the Coronation of Saul, B. C. 1050? (1 Sam. 11. 15), to the Captivity of Bab´y-lon, B. C. 587.
2. During this period the chosen people were ruled by kings; hence this is named the Regal Administration. The king of Is´ra-el was not a despot, however, for his power was limited, and he was regarded as the executive of a theocratic government (1 Sam. 10. 25).
3. This period is divided into three epochs, as follows:
1.) The Age of Unity, under three kings, Saul, Da´vid, and Sol´o-mon, each reigning about forty years. In Da´vid's reign, about B. C. 1,000, the kingdom became an empire, ruling all the lands from E´gypt to the Eu-phra´tes.
2.) The Age of Division. The division of the kingdom took place B. C. 934, when two rival principalities, Is´ra-el and Ju´dah, succeeded the united empire, and all the conquests of Da´vid were lost (1 Kings 12. 16, 17). The kingdom of Is´ra-el was governed by nineteen kings, and ended with the fall of Sa-ma´ria, B. C. 721, when the Ten Tribes were carried into captivity in As-syr´i-a (2 Kings 17. 6) and became extinct.
3.) The Age of Decay. After the fall of Is´ra-el, Ju´dah remained as a kingdom for one hundred and thirty-four years, though in a declining condition. It was ruled by twenty kings, and was finally conquered by the Chal-de´ans. The Jews were carried captive to Bab´y-lon in B. C. 587 (2 Chron. 36. 16-20).
4. The following may be regarded as the representative Persons of his period, one from each epoch:
1.) Da´vid, the great king (2 Sam. 23. 1), and the true founder of the kingdom.
2.) E-li´jah, the great prophet (1 Kings 18. 36).
3.) Hez-e-ki´ah, the good king (2 Kings 18. 1-6).
Blackboard Outline
| I. Per. Hu. Ra. | II. Per. Ch. Fam. | III. Per. Is. Peo. | IV. Per. Is. Kin. | V. Per. Je. Prov. |
| C. M. C. A. | C. A. E. E. | E. E. C. S. | C. S. C. B. | |
| Dir. Adm. | Patr. Adm. | The. Adm. | Reg. Adm. | |
| Fa. Del. Dis. | Jou. Pat. Soj. Eg. Opp. Isr. | Wan. Wil. Con. Can. Ru. Jud. | Ag. Un. Ag. Div. Ag. Dec. | |
| A. E. N. | A. J. J. | M. J. G. S. | D. E. H. |
Review Questions
What is the fourth period called? With what events did it begin and end? What were the dates of these two events? How were the people governed during this period? What were the three subdivisions of this period? Under whom did the kingdom become an empire? What was the extent of its empire? When did the division of the kingdom take place? What was the result of the division? How many were the kings of the Ten Tribes? With what event, and at what date, did the kingdom of Is´ra-el end? How long did Ju´dah last after the fall of Is´ra-el? How many kings reigned in Ju´dah? By what people was Ju´dah conquered? To what city were the Jews carried captive? Name three representative persons of the period of the kingdom.
Part Five
V. In the closing period of Old Testament history we find the tribe of Ju´dah alone remaining, and during most of the time under foreign rule; so we name this the Period of the Jew´ish Province.
1. It extends from the beginning of the Captivity at Bab´y-lon, B. C. 587, to the Birth of Christ, B. C. 4.[2]
2. During this period Ju-de´a was a subject land, except for a brief epoch. This may be called, therefore, the Foreign Administration, as the rule was through the great empires in succession.
3. This period may be subdivided into five epochs. For the first and a part of the second we have the Old Testament as our source of history; all the rest fall in the four centuries of silence between the Old and the New Testament.
1.) The Chal-de´an Supremacy. Fifty years from the captivity, B. C. 587, to the conquest of Bab´y-lon by Cy´rus, B. C. 536, by which the Chal-de´an empire was ended, and the Jews were permitted to return to their land (Ezra 1. 1-3).
2.) The Per´sian Supremacy. About two hundred years from the fall of Bab´y-lon, B. C. 536, to the battle of Ar-be´la, B. C. 330, by which Al-ex-an´der the Great won the Per´sian empire. During this epoch the Jews were permitted to govern themselves under the general control of the Per´sian kings.
3.) The Greek Supremacy. Al-ex-an´der's empire lasted only ten years, but was succeeded by Greek kingdoms, under whose rule the Jews lived in Pal´es-tine for about one hundred and sixty years.
4.) The Mac-ca-be´an Independence. About B. C. 168 the tyranny of the Greek king of Syr´i-a drove the Jews to revolt. Two years later they won their liberty under Ju´das Mac-ca-be´us, and were ruled by a line of princes called As-mo-ne´ans, or Mac-ca-be´ans, for one hundred and twenty-six years.
5.) The Ro´man Supremacy. This came gradually, but began officially in the year B. C. 40, when Her´od the Great received the title of king from the Ro´man senate. Thenceforth the Jew´ish province was reckoned a part of the Ro´man empire.
4. In each epoch of this period we select one important Person.
1.) In the Chal-de´an supremacy, Dan´iel, the prophet and prince (Dan. 2. 48; 5. 12).
2.) In the Per´sian supremacy, Ez´ra the scribe, the framer of the Scripture canon and the reformer of the Jews (Ezra 7. 6, 10).
3.) In the Greek supremacy, Si´mon the Just, a distinguished high priest and ruler.
4.) In the Mac-ca-be´an independence, Ju´das Mac-ca-be´us, the liberator of his people.
5.) In the Ro´man supremacy, Her´od the Great, the ablest but most unscrupulous statesman of his age. This Ro´man supremacy lasted until A. D. 70, when Je-ru´sa-lem was destroyed by Ti´tus, and the Jew´ish state was extinguished by the emperor of Rome.
Blackboard Outline
| I. Per. Hu. Ra. | II. Per. Ch. Fam. | III. Per. Is. Peo. | IV. Per. Is. Kin. | V. Per. Je. Prov. |
| C. M. C. A. | C. A. E. E. | E. E. C. S. | C. S. C. B. | C. B. Bi. Ch. |
| Dir. Adm. | Patr. Adm. | The. Adm. | Reg. Adm. | For. Adm. |
| Fa. Del. Dis. | Jou. Pat. Soj. Eg. Opp. Isr. | Wan. Wil. Con. Can. Ru. Jud. | Ag. Un. Ag. Div. Ag. Dec. | Ch. Sup. Per. Sup. Gk. Sup. Mac. Ind. Rom. Sup. |
| A. E. N. | A. J. J. | M. J. G. S. | D. E. H. | D. E. S. J. H. |
Review Questions
What is the closing period of Old Testament history called? With what events and dates did it begin and end? How were the Jews governed during most of this time? Name its five epochs. Under whom did the Jews obtain independence? Name one person in each epoch of the fifth period, and for what he is distinguished.