- If we can see how it all fits together, not only does it make more sense, but it speaks to us in a new way.
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Sermon Slides - Fitting Together the Old Testament Stories
- Story of being asked to teach 11–14 year old kids when I was 24:
Goal
- Provide a framework to help us fit all the accounts together
- Show how it fits into world history, and is not just a bunch of tales
- Give you a sense of the flow,
1.
Ten Time Periods:
- Creation to Abraham
- Patriarchs & Matriarchs 215yrs
- Slavery in Egypt 430yrs
- Wilderness & Conquest 61yrs
- Judges 336yrs
- Three kings 120yrs
- Northern Kingdom till Captivity 210yrs
- Southern Kingdom till Captivity 136yrs
- Babylonian Exile 50yrs
- Return till birth of Jesus 531yrs
- I discovered how accurately the majority of the Biblical dates could be established
- E.g. Assyrian & Babylonian records
- E.g. pottery
Four Eras:
- Creation to Patriarchs & Matriarchs
Abram—Egypt: 215yrs
(Genesis)
- e.g. Isaac is born to Abraham and Sarah after waiting 25 years
- Nation of Israel (disorganized) 827yrs
(Exodus-1 Samuel)
- e.g. Crossing the Red Sea and escaping Egypt
- Nation of Israel (under kings) 484yrs
(1&2 Samuel,
1&2 Kings,
1&2 Chronicles)
- Exile & Return till birth of Jesus 563yrs
(Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther)
- e.g. Daniel in the lion’s den
- Now we’ll go through them again with some stories
The first Era: Creation to Patriarchs & Matriarchs
Creation
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Flood
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Abraham & Isaac
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1. Creation to Patriarchs & Matriarchs
- Abram—Egypt: 215yrs (Genesis)
- Creation of the world
- Adam & Eve, the fall, murder
- The Flood
- Abraham & Sarah
- Isaac & Rebekah
- Jacob & 12 sons
- Joseph and move to Egypt
The second Era: Nation of Israel (disorganized)
2. Nation of Israel (disorganized)
- 827yrs
(Exodus-1 Samuel)
- Moses is born, hidden and discovered
- Moses and the burning bush
- The 10 plagues
- The passover and escape
- Crossing the Red Sea
- Receiving the Law at Mt. Sinai
- Constant rebellion against God & Moses
- Enter the Promised Land
- Judges like Deborah & Gideon
- Samuel good, but evil sons
The Third Era: Nation of Israel (under kings)
King Solomon
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3. Nation of Israel (under kings)
- 484yrs
(1&2 Samuel,
1&2 Kings,
1&2 Chronicles)
- David & Goliath
- David hunted by Saul
- David’s adultery & murder
- Solomon builds the temple
- Division of the kingdom
- Ahab & Jezebel
- Elijah & Elisha
- Become as corrupt as the nations
The Fourth Era: Exile & Return till birth of Jesus
Babylonian Siege of Jerusalem
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A Messiah will come
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4. Exile & Return till birth of Jesus
- 563yrs
(Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther)
- Daniel & lion’s den
- Three men and the Fiery Furnace
- Queen Esther
- Return with Ezra, rebuilding the temple
- Nehemiah, rebuilding the walls or Jerusalem
- Prophets speak of a coming Messiah
Time to make you do some work:
- The Story of Ruth?
- Naaman cleansed of Leprosy?
- The Tower of Babel?
- Job?
- Jonah and the fish?
- Joshua has encounter with God?
What it means for us
Updated on 2022-08-28 by Andrew Fountain
