Sean Tracy CPO#: 692 Section 1 Old Testament Survey Old Testament Summary (Conquest Period United Kingdom

m Period) Key People: Canaan, Jericho, Shittim, Jordan River, Gilgal, AI, Gibeon, Shechem, Valley of Jezreel, spring of Harod, Timrah, Jabesh, Mizpah, Ephraim, Ashdod, Gilgal, Adullam, Horesh, wilderness of Paran, Hebron, Geshur Key Places: God, Joshua, Rabab, Achan, Othniel, Ehud, Shagmar, Deborah, Barak, Jael, Abimelech, Tolah, Jair, Jephthah, Izban, Elon, Abdon, Samson, Miach, Ruth, Naomi, Boaz, Eli, Samuel, Saul, Jonathan, David, Goliath, Michal, Nabal, Abigail, medium at Endor, Ish-bosheth, Abner, Nathan, Joab, Bathsheba, Solomon, Amnon, Tamar, Absalom, Sheba, Adonijah, Queen of Sheba, Rehoboam, Job, Satan Key Events: Joshua is Given Leadership of the Israelites, Two spies lodge at Rahabs home, Israelites cross the Jordan River on dry ground, Joshua is given instructions on how to conquer Jericho, Jericho Falls, Rahabs family is spared from destruction, Israel is defeated in battle because of sin, Israel conquers Ai, Gibeonites make a deceitful treaty with the Israelites, The Lord fights on Israels behalf, Israel Conquers the Northern Kingdoms, Land divided among the Twelve Tribes, Joshua sends out three men from each tribe that had not yet received there portion of the land too survey land that was not yet claimed, Hebrews promise to worship and obey God, Joshua Dies, Israel disobeys the command to drive out all the Canaanites, God raises up Judges to deliver Israel from their oppressors, Israel repeats cycles of Sin, Servitude, Supplication, Salvation and Silence, Ruth Travels with Naomi to Bethlehem, Ruth marries Boaz, Samuel is born, Samuel is given to serve in the Tabernacle as a Nazirite, God calls Samuel in the night, Israelites are defeated in Battle by the Philistines, The Philistines take the Ark of the Covenant, Philistines return the Ark to the Israelites, Saul is anointed King of Israel, Saul rescues the men of Jabesh-Gilead, Saul disobeys twice, David is anointed to be the next king of Israel, David kills Goliath, Saul continually attempts to kill David, Saul consults the witch of Endor, Saul commits suicide, Ish-bosheth is king in Israel, David is king in Judah, David is made king over all Israel, David is a military success, David sins with Bathsheba, David repents of his sin, Turmoil in Davids family, Absalom usurps Davids throne, Absalom dies, Sheba rebels against David, David designates Solomon as the next king, Adonijah sets himself up as the next king, Nathan the prophet and Bathsheba save the kingdom for Solomon, David dies, Solomon is king, Solomon asks for wisdom, Solomon forms alliances, Solomon executes those who oppose him, Solomon is allowed to build the Temple, Solomons heart is turned away from God by his many wives, Solomon dies, Job is attacked by Satan, Job loses everything, Job has bad health, Jobs wife tells him to curse God and die, Jobs friends try to tell him God is punishing him because of his sin, Elihu tells Job God is trying to

humble him because he is prideful, God speaks to Job, Job is restored Reading Statement: I swear on my integrity as a Christian that I have read all of the assigned readingreally! Summary: Conquest Period (Joshua; 1405-1375 B.C.) The book of Joshua begins right after the death of Moses, while Israel is in the plains of Moab waiting to go into the Promised Land of Canaan. At the very beginning of chapter 1, the Lord comes to Joshua, Israels newly appointed leader, and exhorts him three times to be strong and courageous, and know that Gods hand is with him and the Israelites. After assuming his role as head of Israel, Joshua sends two spies to scout out the land, particularly the city of Jericho. The spies go out and lodge in the house of a prostitute named Rahab). When the king of Jericho hears that there were Israelite spies staying in Rahabs house, he sends out his guards to capture them. However, Rahab hides the two men in her house so that they are not found. When the guards leave, Rahab goes to the two men whom she had rescued and pleads that when Israel besieges Jericho, she and her family be allowed to live. They in turn bless her and promise to spare her and her family. When the two spies return to Joshua, they report that Truly the LORD has given all the land into our hands. And also, all the inhabitants of the land melt away because of us. (Joshua 2:24) After hearing this report, Joshua commands the people to set out from Shittim to the Jordan River. Following Gods command, Joshua tells the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant to step into the water of the Jordan. As soon as they do so, the waters of the Jordan River stop flowing, and the riverbed becomes dry. Joshua commands one man from each of the 12 tribes to grab a stone from the river and carry it. Once all of the people of Israel finish crossing over and the soles of the priests feet leave the water, the Jordan River resumes flowing as it had before. The Israelites then camp at a place on the eastern borders of Jericho called Gilgal; here, Joshua sets up the twelve stones as a memorial to what the Lord had done. When the peoples of the land of Canaan hear of this miracle that the Lord had worked, their hearts melted away and there was no longer any spirit in them because of the people of Israel. (Joshua 5:1) Since the new generation of Israel had not yet been circumcised, God comes to Joshua and commands him make flint knives and circumcise the people while they were still camped at Gilgal. Once this was done, the people of Israel celebrate the Passover. Up to this point, the people had still been living on manna; however, the day after the Passover, God stops sending manna, because the people are now able to eat from the fruit of the land. While by Jericho, Joshua sees man with a drawn sword standing next to

him, who identifies himself as the commander of the army of the Lord. In response, Joshua falls on his face and worships, asking, What does my lord say to his servant, to which the commander replies, Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy. (Joshua 5:15) The Lord then commands Joshua to have all of the men of war march around Jericho once every day for six days, and on the seventh day to march around seven times while the priests play their trumpets; after the final pass, the men are to shout. The Israelites follow the Lords instructions and the walls of the city of Jericho fall down. Joshua tells the people to utterly destroy the city and all its inhabitants. Only Rahab and her family are spared, since she placed her trust in God and hid the two spies, and she begins living with the Israelites. Joshua then sent 3,000 men to attack the city of Ai. Unbeknownst to him, however, the Lords anger was burning against Israel because Achan the son of Carmi had stolen some sacred things and hidden them in his tent. Therefore, the Israelites were defeated terribly by the people of Ai. When Joshua hears of this, he tears his clothes in distress and goes before the Lord. The Lord reveals to him that Achan had stolen some sacred items, and he and his family are stoned and burned with fire. Once this is done, the Lords anger abates and the Israelites again go up to Ai. This time, the city is given into their hand, and the Israelites kill all of its inhabitants and burn it to the ground. Joshua then renews the covenant by building an altar, offering burnt offerings to the Lord, and reading the Law of Moses in its entirety to the Israelites. When the inhabitants of Gibeon hear of how the Israelites had utterly destroyed Jericho and Ai, they come to Joshua dressed in ragged garments, claim to be from a far-off land, and askito make a treaty with Israel. Although God had strictly commanded them to not make any treaties with the people of the Promised Land, Israel fails to ask the Lord for His guidance and is deceived by the Gibeonites gimmick. Although Israel honors their treaty and does not destroy the Gibeonites, Gibeon is subdued and forced into being the servants of Israel. When the Amorites hear that Gibeon had formed a treaty with Israel, they gather forces to attack Gibeon. Under the command of the Lord, Israel goes up to fight the Amorites, and utterly destroys them. During the battle, God causes the sun and the moon to stand still until Israel had achieved victory. After the defeat of the Amorites, Israel continues its conquest of Southern Canaan, and the Lord continually grants them victory. The entire land was devoted to destruction. Israel then begins their conquest of Northern Canaan. Although the people of the land joined forces until they were in number like the sand that is on the seashore, the Lord continually fights for Israel, and every nation who rises up against Israel is defeated. However, Joshua begins to grow old before all of Canaan is defeated, and the Lord commands Joshua to begin to divide the conquered land in Canaan among the tribes of Israel, according to how God allotted the land. However, after this is done, there are still seven tribes whose inheritance had not yet been apportioned. Therefore, Joshua sends three men out of each tribe to scout the remaining land, to write a description of it, and to divide it into seven territories. After this had been done, Joshua

casts lots to determine the land that each tribe will receive. Joshua 18:1121:45 dictates the allotments for the tribes of Benjamin, Simeon, Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, Dan, and Levi, including the cities of refuge. While the people were gathered at Shechem, Joshua gives one final speech to the people of Israel, reminding them of Gods enduring faithfulness and charging them to obey and love the Lord with their whole hearts and to continue to completely eradicate the nations still remaining in the land. Also, he warns them that if they did not follow these instructions and intermarried with the peoples of Canaan, that the gods of the Canaanites would become a stumbling block for them and cause them to turn from following the Lord. Joshua then dies and is buried in the hill-country of Ephraim. Judges Period (Judges, Ruth; 1375-1051 B.C.) After Joshua dies, the people of Israel come together and inquire of the Lord as to what to do next. Following the Lords guidance, Judah wages war against the Canaanites and Perizzites, and the Lord delivers the cities of Bezek, Jerusalm, Sheshai, Ahiman, and Taman into Judahs hand. After this, they go up again the inhabitants of the territory of Debir. Caleb promises to give Achsah his daughter to whoever captures the city of Kiriath-arba; Othniel succeeds in this venture and therefore is given Achsah as his wife. Judah goes on and defeats many other cities, but is not able to defeat the people in the plains because Judah lost faith when they saw their iron chariots. The Lord grants many victories to some of the other tribes; however, the Israelites do not follow the Lords command to completely wipe out the inhabitants of Canaan, and leave many nations in the land. Because of this, Gods anger burns against the people of Israel and he tells them that the people of the land will become thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you. True to Gods Word, Israel eventually begins intermarrying with the people and worshiping the gods of the Canaanites. Every time that Israel turns away from God, he delivers them into the hands of their enemies; however, he also raises up many judges to deliver them when they cry out to Him and turn away from evil. Judges 3-16 narrates the accounts, in sequence, of the judges that God raised up to deliver Israel. Othniel is the first judge of Israel; delivering them from out of the hand of Cuchan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia. The Spirit of the Lord comes upon him, and Othniel defeats the king in battle, freeing Israel. Othniel continues to judge Israel for forty years, until he dies. Once again Israel turns away from God and He causes Eglon king of Moab to wage war against Israel; Israel is defeated and serves the Moabites for eighteen years. However, Israel cries out to God once more and he raises up Ehud to judge Israel. Ehud fashions a sword short enough to be hidden in his clothes, and goes in to the Eglon to present Israels tribute, declaring that he also had a secret message for the king. Once the king sends out his attendants, Ehud takes out his sword, thrusts it into the kings belly, and escapes from the palace. He then sounds a trumpet in the hill country of

Ephraim, calling every able-bodied man of Israel to fight. God grants them victory and they killed 10,000 Moabites. After this, the land had rest for eighty years. Next, God raises up Shagmar, who saves Israel and kills 600 Philistines with an oxgoad. The ESV Study Bible includes this note on Shagmar: The third judge was Shamgar, mentioned only here Shamgars name is apparently Hurrian, not Israelite, and his designation as son of Anath probably refers to the Canaanite warrior goddess Anath. If so, it is ironic that God used a nonIsraelite warrior to deliver Israel from its enemies. (Crossway, p. 444) However, Israel yet again does what was evil in the sight of the Lord after Ehud dies, and God gives them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan. In their oppression, Israel cries out to God to deliver them; he hears them and responds by raising up a prophetess named Deborah to judge Israel. Together, Deborah and a man named Barak gather 10,000 men from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun to fight the commander of Jabins army, Sisera. Although Sisera has a superior army and 900 iron chariots, God completely destroys Siseras army and he flees from the battle on foot. He comes to a tent asks a Kenite name Jael to bring him water to drink and hide him from his pursuers. Instead, she takes a tent peg and pounds it into his temple, killing him instantly. After this major victory, Israel continues to fight Jabin until he had been utterly destroyed. Israel then has rest for forty years. For the fifth time in a row, Israel turns from God, doing what was evil in His sight. This time, God raises up the Midianites to oppress Israel, forcing Israel to make dens and strongholds in the mountains. Midian completely devoured the produce of the land, leaving no crops or livestock for the Israelites. Israel calls out to God to deliver them. Hearing their plea, God send the angel of the Lord to Gideon, who greets him with: The Lord is with you, O might man of valor! God then commands Gideon to go and save Israel from the hand of Midian. As a sign to Gideon that he has been called, God tells him to place some meat and cakes that he had prepared on a rock; when he does so, the angel touches the rockcausing fire to completely consumes the meal and disappears. In awe of what he witnessed, Gideon builds and altar and offers sacrifices to God. Following the Lords command, Gideon goes and destroys his towns altar of Baal. Although the men of the town are initially angry and attempt to kill Gideon, he calms them by stating that if Baal were angry with him, he would pour his wrath upon Gideon himself. After this, the Midianites and Amalekites gather forces and camp in the Valley of Jezreel. Under the empowerment of the spirit, Gideon sounds a loud trumpet and 32,000 Israelites come out to follow him in battle. However, Gideon begins questioning his calling to deliver Israel, and asks God to give him a sign. In response, God causes dew to collect on a fleece but not on the ground one night, reversing this effect the next night. The Lord tells Gideon that the army is too large, since the people might boast and think that they achieved victory by military might rather by Gods hand. Therefore, God tells Gideon to have everyone who is fearful leave; 22,000 return home, leaving 10,000. However, God says that this number is still too great; to limit the

number even further, God tells Gideon to instruct the people to drink from the nearby spring of Harod, and keep only those who drink by cupping the water in their hands. This leaves only 300 men, which God accepts. That evening God tells Gideon to sneak into the camp of the Midianites. While there Gideon overhears two soldiers talking, saying: Behold, I dreamed a dream, and behold a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian and came to the tent and struck it so that it fell and turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat. And his comrade answered, This is no other than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given into his hand Midian and all the camp. (Judges 7:13-14) When Gideon hears this, he worships. Having his confidence thus bolstered, Gideon divides the people into three groups and has each put a clay jar over a torch. When Gideon sounds his trumpet, the 300 men shout in unison for the Lord and for Gideon! and smash their jars. Upon hearing this, the Midianite army becomes disoriented and begin fleeing, fighting amongst themselves in their confusion. The Lord gives Israel a great victory, and Midian is defeated. Once this is done, the people ask Gideon to be their king, but he declines, instead requesting that they each give him the earrings from their spoil. With these he fashions an ephod, which later becomes a snare to Gideon and his family. Gideon had many wives, who gave birth to a total of seventy sons. For forty years, there is peace in the land. However, as soon as Gideon dies, the Israelites again start whoring after Baal, rather then faithfully serving the Lord. After Gideons death, his son Abimelech slaughters his brothers so that he could become the sole leader of Shechem. However, his brother Jotham survives and flees to Beer. Abimelech rules over Israel for three years, until his skull is crushed while attempting to capture a tower at Thebez. Next, Tolah judges Israel for twenty-three years, and after him Jair for twenty-two years. After them, Israel returns to worshiping foreign gods, and God punishes them by selling them into the hand of the Philistines and Ammonites. For eighteen years the Philistines oppress Israel, until Israel finally cries out to the Lord. Therefore, God sends Jephthah to judge Israel. Jephthah was an illegitimate son born to a prostitutebecause of this his brothers drive him away from his fathers house and he become leader of a small band of outlaws. When the Ammonites rise up against Israel, the elders of Gilead make Jephthah their leader. Gods spirit comes upon Jephthah and he severely defeats the Ammonites. However, he made a rash vow to God, promising to sacrifice whatever comes out of his tent to the Lord if he is victorious. Tragically, his young daughter comes out, and he sacrifices her. Jephthah judges Israel for six more years, until he dies and is buried in his city of Gilead. After Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon judge Israel for a total of 25 years. Yet again, the Israelites turn from God and he delivers them into the hands of the Philistines. This time, the Lord raises up a man named Samson to deliver Israel. The angel of the Lord comes to a barren woman and promises that she will bear a son by her husband who will deliver Israel, but he must be dedicated as a Nazirite. Samson is born and God blesses him as he grows. Eventually Samson falls in love with a Philistine woman and arranges to marry

her. While traveling back to his home in Timrah, he is attacked by a lion and the Spirit of the Lord comes on him and he slays the lion. The next day he finds honey in the carcass of the lion, and sticks his hand in and eats some. During the wedding, Samsons anger is kindled against the Philistines since they threatened his wife to find the answer to riddle Samson posed. Because of this, Samson is empowered by the Spirit and he strikes down 30 Philistines. In his anger, he departs from his wife and returns to his homeland When he returns, he finds that his wife had been given to another man; in his anger, he burns down to their grain and orchards. When the Philistines hear of this, they demand that Judah release Samson into their hands. This is done, but the Spirit of the Lord comes upon him and he breaks his bonds and slaughters 1,000 men with only a donkeys jawbone. However, Samson is later captured again when he foolishly reveals the secret to his strength to a prostitute, telling her that if his hair is cut, he would lose his strength. Thus, she cuts his hair and the Philistines apprehend him and gouge out his eyes. One evening the Philistines call out Samson to entertain them. Praying to God that his strength might return, he places his hand on the pillars of the building and pushes, causing the building to collapse and killing 3,000 Philistines. Judges 17-21 do not give accounts of the judges, but rather give some examples of Israels idolatry and immorality. In chapter 17, a man named Micah returns 1,100 shekels of silver that he stole to his mother. Rejoicing, she has a silversmith fashion an idol from 200 shekels of silver, and Micah makes a shrine. He then hires a Levite to be his priest, thinking the Lord would bless him. However, the tribe of Dan comes through and takes his idol and priest away from him and set up another place to worship Micahs carved image. In chapter 19, a Levite marries a concubine who does not remain faithful to him. While traveling with his concubine, he stops and stays in the house of an old man in Gibeah. During his stay the men of the town come to the old mans house and demand that he release the Levite so that they can have sex with them. However, the Levite instead sends out his unfaithful concubine, and the Benjaminites of Gibeah rape and murder her. When the Levite finds her dead on the porch the next morning, he divides her into twelve pieces and sends her to the twelve tribes of Israel. When Israel hears of the great immorality of the tribe of Benjamin, they inquire of the Lord whether or not they should attack Benjamin. God tells them to do so, and Benjamin is almost entirely decimated, until only 600 men remain. Because the men from Jabesh-gilead did not respond to the Lords call to gather at Mizpah, the Israelites attack them, sparing only the virgins. Since there are no women left in Benjamin, the 400 virgins from Jabesh are given to them as wives. The book of Ruth also takes place during the period of the judges. Naomi was a woman from Judah who traveled with her husband to Moab. Her two sons marry Moabite women; however, eventually Naomis husband and two sons die, leaving her and her two daughter-in-laws Orpah and Ruth widows. Naomi purposes to return to the land of Israel. Although Orpah decides to stay behind, Ruth shows her love for and loyalty to Naomi by

agreeing to travel with her to the city of Bethlehem. Naomi has a relative of her husbands named Boaz, and Ruth purposes to go glean in his field. According to Encountering the Old Testament, The Old Testament provides for the poor by requiring farmers to leave sheaves behind for the needy. (Arnold and Beyer, 188) When Boaz sees Ruth and notes her industriousness, he provides for her safety and well being. Ruth returns to Naomi and tells her what transpired, and Naomi responds in praise. As it turns out, Boaz is a close relative and kinsman-redeemer of Ruth. Naomi then instructs Ruth to go to Boaz in the night after he has finished eating and drinking and has lied down, and lay at his feet. She does this and Boaz treats her honorably, sending her instead to be redeemed by another closer relative; if the other relative rejects her, Boaz promises that he will redeem her. The other redeemer turns down his right to redemption, and Boaz and Ruth marry. United Kingdom Period (1 Samuel1 Kings 11; 1 Chronicles2 Chronicles 9; Psalms Proverbs, Ecclesiastes; Song of Solomon; 1051931 B.C.) Samuel: The book of 1 Samuel begins with the story of an Israelite woman in Ephraim named Hannah. Although she is married and desires to have children very much, she is barren and unable to conceive. Because of this, her husbands other wife often provokes her. In her distress she cries out to God, pleading that he give her a son, and promising to dedicate her son as a Nazirite if God chooses to grant her a son. Eli, high priest and descendant of Aaron, observes her praying, and inquires as to why she is so anxious. When he hears her situation, Eli tells her that the Lord has heard her request and will bless her with a son. True to his word, Hannah conceives and gives birth to a boy named Samuel, committing him to Eli to serve the Lord. The Lord continues to bless Hannah and also givea her three son and two daughters. Eli has two sons, both of whom are evil in the sight of the Lord and commit many atrocious acts. Because of this, the Lord comes to Eli and tells him that he will break the line of Eli and instead raise up another faithful priest who shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind. The Lord comes to the boy Samuel in the night and calls him. Two times Samuel mistakes the voice for Elis. However on the third time he recognizes that it is God calling him and responds: Speak Lord, for your servant hears. The Lord then speaks to him in a vision, establishing him as his chosen high priest. As Samuel continues to grow older the Lord is continually him, and he is established as a prophet of the Lord in all of Israel. In the next chapter, the Philistines go up against the Israelites. However, Israel does not have the blessing of the Lord and therefore suffer a great defeat, losing 4,000 men. Thinking that it would give them victory, the Israelites bring the ark of the covenant to the battlefield and face the Philistines again. However, they are defeated even worse then the first time

and the ark is captured. The Philistines take the ark and set it in Dagons temple in Ashdod beside the statue of Dagon. When they return the next day, they find that Dagons statue had fallen over in the night and both of hands and his head had been cut off. The Lord continually terrifies the Philistines afflicts them with tumors while the ark remains in their territory. After the ark had been with them for seven months, they finally decide to return the ark to Israel, sending five golden tumors and five golden mice with it as a guilt offering. The ark is loaded onto a cart and God directs the cattle to field of Joshua at Beth-shemesh. When the people see it, the Levites come and take it; however, seventy men are stricken because they looked upon the ark of the Lord without authorization, and Israel laments. Samuel speaks to all of Israel, stating that if they return to the Lord with all their heart and put away their foreign gods, the Lord will deliver them out of the hand of the Philistines. The Israelites heed the voice of Samuel, and gather at Mizpah to fast and confess. While they are there the Philistines come to attack, and the people begin fearing greatly. However, Samuel offers a lamb as an offering to the Lord and cries out to him, and God thunders against the Philistines and delivers them into the hand of Israel. Samuel continues to judge Israel for all of the days of his life. However, when Samuel gets older, the elders come to him and clamor for a king to rule over them, like the other nations that surround them. Although very displeased with their decision (since it reflected a lack of dependence on Him), God decides to grants their request. Saul: While Saul is out looking for his fathers lost donkeys, his servant recommends that they go to Samuel to inquire where they might be. When they come to Samuel, God reveals to Samuel that this is the man that He had selected to be king. Therefore, Samuel anoints him as king after assuring him that the donkeys he was looking for had already been found. Once this had been done, Samuel gathers the people of Israel together and presents Gods chosen king to the people; upon seeing him they shout, Long live the king! Samuel then tells the people the right and duties of the king and writes them in a book. Soon after this, Nahash the Ammonite besieges the people of Jabesh. When Saul hears of this, the Spirit comes upon him, and he sends for the people of Israel to fight with him. The fear of the Lord falls on the people and 300,000 Israelites respond. The Ammonites are utterly defeated. Before Samuel dies, he comes to the people and reminds them of his faithful service to God and Israel, and Gods faithfulness to Israel from the time of Moses. To show the Lords displeasure over their decision to set a king over them rather then let the Lord be their king, Samuel calls upon the Lord and the Lord sends thunder and rain. The people are greatly afraid and ask Samuel to pray for them. Samuel then exhorts them to not turn aside from following the Lord and to serve Him with all their heart.

In 1 Samuel 13, The Philistines muster an army like the sand on the seashore to fight against Israel. Rather then trusting in the Lord, the people of Israel hide themselves and tremble. Although Saul is commanded to wait to offer a sacrifice to Lord until Samuel comes to Gilgal, he grows impatient and offers the sacrifice himself. Because of his disobedience, Samuel tells him that the Lord will no longer establish his kingdom over Israel forever, but instead has now sought out a man after his own heart. Tired of hiding from the Philistines, Sauls son Jonathon and his armorbearer go up to the garrison of the Philistines to fight them. The Lord is with him and he kills twenty Philistines. Following this, the earth quakes, the Philistines are thrown into a very great panic, and they begin to flee and fight amongst themselves. When Saul and the Israelites see the Philistines fleeing, they pursue after them and the Philistines are defeated; thus, the Lord saves Israel. During the fighting, Saul makes lays a rash oath on the people forbidding the people to eat until he had had revenge on his enemies. However, out of ignorance Jonathan his son eats honey. When Saul hears of this he purposes to put his son to death. However, because of the miracle that God worked through him, the people of Israel appeal on his behalf and his life is spared. Saul continues to fight against the enemies of Israel on every side, routing them wherever he turned. Samuel instructs Saul to utterly destroy the Amalekites, sparing no man, woman, child, or livestock. However Saul disobeys, instead keeping Agag the king alive and the best of the livestock. Because of this, Samuel tells Saul that God has rejected him as king over Israel, and instead is going to hand the kingdom over to another. God then sends Samuel to the house of Jesse to anoint one of his sons as the next king of Israel. However, God rejects all of Jesses older sons, instead choosing David, his youngest son who tended the flocks. Samuel anoints him with oil, and from that day forward, the Spirit of God dwelled in him. The Spirit of the Lord departs from Saul, and a harmful spirit is sent to torment him. Saul requests the service of a lyre player to calm him spirit, and David is selected to enter the kings service. Whenever the evil spirit would torment Saul, David would come in and play for him until the evil spirit departed. Saul comes to love David greatly and makes him his armor bearer. Once again the Philistines gather against Israel for battle, bringing with them a terrible giant named Goliath. The Israelite army is afraid because of Goliath and does not go out to fight the Philistines. However, every day Goliath goes out and taunts the Israelite army to send out their champion to fight him. One day, Jesse sends David to bring bread and cheese to his brothers in the Israelite camp. When he sees Goliath taunting, he goes in to Saul and requests permission to fight against Goliath, confident that the Lord would deliver him into his hand. After much convincing, Saul agrees and David goes up against him with only a sling and five stones. Davids first stone hits Goliath on the forehead, knocking him unconscious. David then uses Goliaths own sword to cut off his head. When the Philistines see this, they flee and the Israelites pursue after them, striking them down. The people praise David, saying: Saul

has struck his thousands, but David his ten thousands. Because of this Saul becomes very jealous, and he tries to kill him with a spear, but David evades him. God caused David to succeed in everything he did, and the people of Israel and Judah loved him. David becomes very close friends with Jonathan and the two loved each other more then their own souls. Saul offers David his daughter Michal as his wife if can bring one hundred foreskins of the Philistines (Saul was hoping that David would fall by the hand of the Philistines). This pleased David, and he went and fought the Philistines, bringing back one hundred foreskins. True to his word, Saul gives David Michal as his wife. Because of his jealousy, Saul once again tries to kill David. However, Michal warns David and he flees from Sauls presence. Again, Saul tries to kill David, but Jonathan warns him and he escapes. Fearing for his life, David then departs and hides in a cave at Adullam. When his family hears of it, they and many others come to join him, until David was captain over 400 men. In his pursuit of David, Saul slaughters the priests at Nob, because they had helped David. David continues to hide from Saul, dwelling the in strongholds at Horesh, and the numbers of those who following him increases. Saul then raises up an army to capture David and his army. One night, while Saul is sleeping, David sneaks up to Saul and cuts off a corner of his robe, although David could have very easily killed him. Even this action causes David to grieve, because he had put out his hand against the Lords anointed. David then confronts Saul and presents the piece of robe, to prove that he had no intention of harming Saul. When Saul hears this, he weeps, commends David for his goodness, and returns home. At this point, Samuel dies and all Israel assembles and mourns for him. He is buried at his home in Ramah. David and his men travel to the wilderness of Paran, where they come upon the house of a rich man named Nabal whose property they had been protecting. Because it is a feast day, David sends messengers to Nabal, requesting that he give them whatever you have at hand. Nabal refuses and disrespects David; therefore, David becomes angry and gets ready to attack. However, Nabals wife Abigail quickly prepares food for Davids army, beseeching that he show mercy to Nabal. David honors her request, but that night God strikes Nabal and he dies. David then marries Abigail. Sauls wrath is once again stirred up against David, and he begins pursuing David once more to kill him. However, like before, David has an opportunity to kill Saul but instead takes his spear. Saul blesses him and then returns home. Fearing that Saul would continue to kill him as long as he remained in Israel, David goes to live with the Philistines for 16 months. While there, he wages war against the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. The Philistines rise up against Israel, and Saul goes to a medium at Endor to consult Samuels spirit as to what to do next. However, Samuel rebukes Saul, telling him that he would perish the next day. Davids wives as well as the wives and children of his men are captured by the Amalekites. When David hears of this, he and his men pursue the

Amalekites, defeating them and recovering their families. The Philistine army then attacks Israel, and Sauls three sons are killed in the fighting. Saul is struck with an arrow, and kills himself by falling on his sword. The bodies of Saul and his sons are buried in Jabesh. David: An Amalekite then comes to David and falsely claims to have killed Saul. When David hears of Sauls death he fasts, mourns, and weeps until evening. David instructs one of his men to strike down the Amalekite because he was not afraid to put out [his] hand and destroy the Lords anointed. David then travels to Hebron, where Judah anoints him as their king. However, the commander of Sauls army appoints Sauls son Ish-bosheth as king of Israel. The next few chapters dictate the war between the house of Saul and the house of David. After much fighting, Ish-bosheths army commander Abner is killed, and David and all of his house grieve for him. When Ishbosheth hears the news, he is filled with dread. Some men named Rimmon, Rechab, and Baanah murder Ish-bosheth while he is sleeping, thinking that David will reward them. Instead he puts them to death for their murder. All the tribes then come to David and ask him to be their king. Therefore, he is anointed as king over both Israel and Judah. David then goes and attacks the city of Jerusalem making it the new political capital of Israel. According to Martys Survey of the Old Testament, David chose Jerusalem to avoid disputes over whether the capital should be from Judah or from Israel. (Marty, 78) Following the defeat of Jerusalem, David goes up against the Philistines, defeating them twice. Eventually the ark is brought to Jerusalem, making it also the religious capital of Israel. David rejoices greatly and danced before the Lord all night. In 2 Samuel 7, God tells Nathan the prophet to go and speak to David. God promises to David that He will make for you a great name and that your throne shall be established forever. Ultimately, this promise is fulfilled in Jesus. God also affirms that Davids son would build the temple. When David hears this, he is overwhelmed with gratitude and prays a prayer of thankfulness to the Lord. God continues to bless David, and grants him victory over all the enemies in the land the rise up against him. While Joab, Davids commander, is off battling the Ammonites, David looks out from his palace and sees a beautiful woman named Bathsheba bathing. He inquires as to who she is, and one of his servants informs him that she is the wife Uriah the Hittite. Despite this, David summons her to his palace and commits adultery with her; Bathsheba later informs David that she became pregnant. To cover up his sin, David tries to get Uriah to go home to his wife from the battle against Ammon. When he fails in this, he ordered Joab to put Uriah where the fighting was the most dangerous, and then to have everyone but him withdraw. Joab obeys, and Uriah is killed. Once Bathshebas time of mourning for her husband is over, David marries her and she gives birth to a son.

The Lord sends the prophet Nathan to confront David on his sin. Instead of confronting him directly, Nathan tells David the story of a rich man with many sheep who takes and slaughters a poor mans sheep to feed his guest. David is horrified and demands that the man who committed this heinous act be executed. However, his horror is even greater when he finds out that the story refers to him, and he confesses his sin. Although Nathan assures David of Gods forgiveness, he also tells him that God would punish him by killing the son that Bathsheba bore. David spends days fasting; however, true to Gods Word, the baby dies. However, Bathsheba gives birth to another son shortly afterwards, and he is named Solomon. In chapter 13 of 2 Samuel, Davids son Amnon loves his half-sister Tamar. Because he does not control his feelings, he eventually rapes her and brings dishonor upon her. Absalom, Tamars brother, despises Amnon because of this and eventually murders him and flees to Geshur. After three years he finally returns to Jerusalem, but is not invited back to the palace for another two years. Absalom begins to try to win the hearts of the people, by standing at the city gate every day hearing the complaints of the people and promising to bring justice to them if he is made ruler over Israel. Eventually, Absalom began conspiring to take the throne away from his father. He sends word throughout the land of Israel instructing the people to all shout Absalom is king in Hebron! when they hear the sound of the trumpet. Absalom quickly gains support, and David is forced to flee Jerusalem. However, David leaves behind his trusted servant Hushai to act as a spy on Absalom. Absalom enters Jerusalem and begins planning his next move. His highly esteemed advisor Ahithophel advises that he take 12,000 men and go and finish David off immediately, whereas Hushai suggests that he wait to attack. Absalom decides to take the advice of Hushai, a move that saves Davids life. Hushai informs David of this, and David begins to prepare for battle, dividing his army into three groups. During the battle, Absaloms forces suffer heavy losses. While riding through the forest, Absaloms hair gets stuck in the branches of an oak and he is left suspended in midair. Joab finds him and kills him with the sword, despite Davids orders that Absaloms life be spared. Although the kingdom is restored to David, he is greatly grieved because of the death of his son. There is great deal of tension in the land at Davids return to the throne, which eventually leads to Sheba the Benjamites rebellion. Joab goes up against Sheba at the city of Abel. So as to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, the people of the city behead Sheba and throw it over the wall, ending the rebellion. The Lord then comes to David and says, There is bloodguilt on Saul and his house, because he put the Gibeonites to death. (2 Samuel 21:1) Therefore, David summons the Gibeonites to himself and inquires as to how he can make atonement for the evils that had been done to their people. The Gibeonites request that they be allowed to hang seven of Sauls sons before the Lord. David grants their request, but spares Sauls son Mephibosheth because of the oath that he had made to protect him. Once again, the Philistines wage war against Israel. Although David is

nearly killed in the fighting, a soldier comes to his rescue and his life is saved. During the fighting, the Israelites went up against many descendants of the giants who had six fingers and six toes. Despite these things, the Lord gives victory to David. In 2 Samuel 22, David sings a psalm of praise to the Lord. 2 Samuel 23 gives an account of Davids mighty men, telling some of their heroic deeds. At the very end of 2 Samuel, David begins to take a census of the people of Israel, stirring up Gods wrath. Because of this, God brings judgment on Israel, and thousands are killed. However, David beseeches that God show mercy, and God gives David three options as punishment: famine, pursuit from enemies, or pestilence. Preferring to leave his judgment solely in the hands of God rather then of men, David chooses pestilence. Pestilence comes on the land and 70,000 are killed. The prophet Gad then comes to David and tells him to go make an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. David obeys, buys the land and oxen, and offers sacrifices to the Lord. God then ends the plague. When David grow old and nears the end of his life, his oldest living son Adonijah attempts to take the throne by force rather then wait for Gods timing. However, Nathan and Bathsheba come in to the king and inform him of his sons actions, beseeching that Bathshebas son Solomon be allowed to reign, as David had promised. David quickly takes action and anoints Solomon as king in the city, throwing a loud celebration. Adonijah hears it from far away and inquires as to what is going on. When he is told, he becomes very afraid and begs Solomon for mercy. If he shows himself worthy, Solomon promises not to harm him. David gives Solomon some final instructions before dying, exhorting him follow the Lord with all his heart, and to put Joab to death because of his unfaithfulness. David then dies and is buried in Jerusalem, after reigning for 40 years. Solomon: Solomon begins his reign by walking with the Lord, finding favor in His sight. Solomon fulfills the final instruction of David by executing Joab, instead placing Benaiah over Israels army. One evening God comes to Solomon in a vision, promising to give him whatever he asked; Solomon responds by asking for wisdom to govern his people and to discern good from evil. The Lord is very pleased with Solomons request, promising not only to reward him with wisdom, but also to give him wisdom, honor, and long life. Solomons wisdom is soon made known to the people of Israel when two prostitutes come to him with a dispute over who was the mother to a certain baby. Solomon commands that the baby be cut and two and each half be given to each woman; while one of the women is very distressed, the other woman agrees that this is a fair solution. Therefore Solomon gave the baby to the first woman, discerning that she was the true mother. God blesses Solomon and his entire kingdom, and there is prosperity through the land of Israel. Solomons wisdom become renowned, and people from many nations

came to hear his wisdom. In 1 Kings 5, Solomon begins to make preparations to build the temple, asking to purchase cedar trees from Hiram, the king of Tyre. Hiram is pleased, and sends him as many cedars as he needs in exchange for 20,000 cors of wheat and 20,000 cors of oil. Then, Solomon drafted the labor of 30,000 men, in addition to having 70,000 burden-bearers, 80,000 stonecutters in the hills, and 3,300 officials over the laborers. After seven years of labor, the temple is finally finished. Solomon also builds a magnificent palace, which takes thirteen years to complete. Solomon then furnishes the temple with pillars, the golden altar, the golden table, the lampstands of gold, the lamps and tongs of gold, the cups, and many other such vessels and furnishings. After this, Solomon assembles all of Israels elders, heads of tribes, and leaders of fathers houses in Jerusalem and the ark is brought into the temple. In the presence of the congregation, Solomon blesses the Lord, prays a prayer of dedication, sacrifices 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep as a peace offering before the Lord, and holds a feast for all of Israel, which lasted for seven days. The Lord then comes to Solomon, affirming the covenant he made to David in 2 Samuel 7 and promising to bless Israel if he and his descendants walk with him with integrity of heart and uprightness. If they turn away from Him to other gods, however, he promises to cut Israel off from the land that He has given them. Hearing of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, the Queen of Sheba comes to Israel to see His wealth for herself and to test his wisdom with difficult questions. When she comes to him, she is astonished by his wisdom and incredible wealth, and declares, Your wisdom and prosperity surpass the report that I heard. Happy are your men! Happy are your servants who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel! (1 Kings 10:9) She then gives the king gold and spices from her land as gifts, and in return Solomon gives her whatever she desires. However, because Solomon loved and married many foreign women, he begins to turn from following the Lord. He had 700 wives and 300 concubines, who stole his heart and caused him to worship other gods. The Lord becomes angry because of Solomons unfaithfulness and raise up several adversaries against him. Eventually, Solomon dies after reigning 40 years and is buried in Jerusalem. Rehoboam his son takes his place on the throne. First Chronicles parallels the book of Second Samuel, containing the ancestry of the nation of Israel, the genealogies of the tribes of Israel, and a list of those who returned from exile, and also chronicles the reign of David. In chapter 10, 1 Chronicles narrates the death of Saul, then examining the life of David from the time of his being anointed as king to his death. Second Chronicles 1-9, on the other hand, examines the life of Solomon, from the very beginning of his rule to his death. Books of Poetry

Job: The Book of Job begins by describing Job as a man who was blameless and upright, one who feared God, and turned away from evil. He is very prosperous, and had 7 sons, 3 daughters, 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 50 female donkeys, and many servants; the text even describes him as the greatest of all of the people of the East. One day, God summons all of the sons of God to his presence, and Satan comes with them. Satan challenges God that if God were to withdraw His blessings and protection from Job, he would curse God. God gives Satan free reign over all that Job has, forbidding Satan only from stretching his hand out against Job himself. In quick succession, Job loses everything that he has: the Sabeans take his oxen, fire from heaven consumes all of his sheep, the Chaldeans steal all of camels, and the building in which his children were feasting collapses, killing all of his children. Despite this, Job did not sin against God, but instead blesses His name, though torn with grief. Again Satan appears before the throne of God, this time asking permission to stretch out his hand against Job himself. God gives Him permission, commanding Satan only to spare his life. Satan then strikes Job with loathsome sores that completely cover his body. Although his wife tells him to curse God and die, Job remains faithful, and does not sin with his lips. Jobs three friends Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar come to him and are silent for seven days, after which Job speaks, lamenting the day of his birth. Then his friends speak, each convinced that Jobs calamity is due to some iniquity that Job has committed. After each of them speak, Job continually upholds his innocence. After three rounds of Jobs friends speaking and Job responding, a young man by the name of Elihu comes and addresses Job and his friends without invitation. Elihu rebukes Jobs three friends for not giving Job a sound answer and then suggests that Job is in the situation he is in now because of his pride. After Elihu is done speaking, God appears amidst a fierce windstorm and answers Job and his friends. For four chapters, God asks many questions that only He knows the answer to, explaining that only he was in control of the world and knew its mysteries. God is very angry with Jobs three friends and chastises them for not speaking rightly on his behalf. Because of Jobs faithfulness, God restores to him his fortunes, giving him double what he had before. Psalms: Write a summary of Psalms 16, 42, and 101 David wrote Psalm 16 at an unknown time and for an unknown occasion. In essence, it communicates the joys and benefits of a life spent with God. According to the ESV Study Bible study notes, When the faithful sing Psalm 16, they entrust themselves to the Lord and foster their confidence and commitment in his care. The psalm uses imagery from Israels allocation of the land to express contentment in this life, and goes on to look forward to

everlasting life in Gods presence. (Crossway, 955) David begins the Psalm by stating that he finds his refuge solely in God, apart from whom he has no good. In contrast, those who run after other gods will have many sorrows. David rejoices in the Lord because of his beautiful inheritance and the Lords wise council. Because he has placed his foundation on the Lord, he shall not be shaken. The son of Korah, who were Levites and assigned musicians in the temple, wrote psalm 42. The exact time or occasion for this psalm is unknown. This Psalm shows an intense longing for God, beginning with the famous line as the dear pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. Even though the Psalmists soul is cast down, he places his hope in God, knowing that by day the Lord commands his steadfast love and by night his song is with me. (v. 8) A theological truth from this Psalm is that even when God appears silent, His presence remains with those He loves. Psalm 101 is a royal Psalm of David, written during his reign as king. According to the ESV Study Bible study notes, This psalm sets out, for David and his heirs, the ideal kind of ruler that they should aim to be the kings task is his devotion to achieving covenant faithfulness, both in his personal life and in the social life of Israel. David begins the psalm with I will sing of steadfast love and justice to you, O Lord, I will make music, (v. 1) and then describes how his is going to rule and live with integrity. He will not set before [his] eyes anything that is worthless, destroy whoever slanders his neighbor, favor the faithful in the land, be ministered to only by those who walk blamelessly before God, have no place with liar or those who are deceitful, and will seek to destroy all the wicked in the land. A theological truth from this psalm is that the people that we allow into our lives can have a huge impact on our walk with God, whether for better of for worse. Proverbs: Select five proverbs and write an explanation (interpretation) of each of them. Proverbs 11:15 says, Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer harm, but he who hates striking hands in pledge is secure. Here the phrase puts up security refers to lending money. Solomon is pointing out the folly in lending to someone whose character is not known; the one who does this will suffer harm, or loss of money. On the other hand the one who hates striking hands, a gesture used to seal such a deal, will not have to fear losing his money. Proverbs 12:15 says, The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice. Because a fool is filled with haughtiness, he is not able to accept advice, since he is convinced that his own way is right. A wise man, on the other hand, is humble and acknowledges that he may be able to glean some more wisdom from another. In some ways this is ironic, since it is the fool who is more in need of advice! Proverbs 13:20 says, Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. This proverb refers to importance of

ones company. Regular companions will certainly influence one another. Therefore it is important to choose peers and mentors who are wise and can pass on their wisdom. He who hangs out with fools, however, will inevitably fall into folly himself. Proverbs 15:6 says, In the house of the righteous there is much treasure, but trouble befalls the income of the wicked. Those who live honestly and above reproach will almost always gain a good reputation, and virtues such as diligence and hard work will often lead to career success. However, because the wicked cannot be trusted, he will likely not experience success, but rather fall into financial trouble. Proverbs 16:32 says, Whoever is slow to anger is better then the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. This proverb speaks of the virtue of self-control. A wise man will control his emotions rather then let them control him. Often people think that a display of anger shows might, but he who can withhold anger often exhibits more internal strength. Ecclesiastes The author of Ecclesiastes, begins this book with the thesis Vanity of vanities! All is vanity. (Ecc. 1:2) According to the author, human accomplishments do not make life meaningful. Though humans take great pride in their achievements, there is nothing new under the sun. (Ecc. 1:910) In the next few chapters, the author begins to examine Solomons life (although Solomon is likely to be the author, his authorship in not certain), looking for meaning. Even his great fame, wisdom, and prosperity did not bring him a fulfilled life. The author describes Solomons pursuits as complete vanity and chasing after the wind. In all reality, humans can do no more then eat, drink, and find satisfaction in their work, and even these things are gifts from God. Ultimately, life falls into cyclic patterns that God has established; all times and season of life come and go and will be repeated. The task of the human is to enjoy God and His creation and revere and serve Him. Also, all humans die and eventually return to dust. In chapter 4, the author considers all evils under the sun. In chapters 5 and 6, the author exhorts the reader to fear God above all else, and examines how wealth and honor in and of themselves do not bring any satisfaction to a man. Chapter 7 compares and contrasts wisdom from folly; wisdom is of great value to man, but is very difficult to find. Righteousness is good, but does not savethe author explains that he has seen righteous men suffering, and wicked men who prosper. In chapter 8, the author states that it will be well for those that fear God (v. 12) but it will not be well with the wicked. The next chapter reminds the reader again that death is inevitable and that the deeds of the righteous and wise are in the hands of God. Though wisdom is sometimes despised, it is greater then might. The author finishes Ecclesiastes by exhorting the reader to remember also your Creator in the days of your youth. (Ecc. 12:1) Ultimately, mans duty is to fear God and keep His commandments. (Ecc. 12:13)

Song of Solomon: Song of Solomon is structured as a discourse between a young woman and her lover, Solomon. It is a love story, depicting true and honorable love and showing the development of their relationship over time. The first few chapters describe the nature of their love, as they in turn compliment each other. While this young womans family despises her family and other women call her unattractive because of her dark skin, Solomon finds her beautiful, both inside and outside. Even when Solomon is far away, she remains faithful and longs only for him. Only after the marriage in Chapter 3 is the couple intimate. In Chapter 4, Solomon admires her great beauty. In chapter 5, Solomons lover is troubled by a dream and is desperate to find him when she wakes up. In final chapters of the book, Solomon yet again tells the woman how beautiful he finds her, and she tell him of her great longing for him. Nothing can quench true love, as it says in 8:7: Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it.

Works Cited for Reading Report #2 Sean Tracy CPO #692 2011 Arnold, Bill T., and Bryan E. Beyer. Encountering the Old Testament. Page 93. Grand Rapids, MI.: Baker Books, 1999. Print. ESV Study Bible. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008. Print. Marty, Dr. William H. A Survey of the Old Testament. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company. Print 1992. OT Survey Dr. Bill Marty Section 1 October 22,