Godonomics

As we move into chapter five, let’s backtrack briefly. So far, we have examined the Bible in chronological order from Genesis to Malachi in the Old Testament (the part of the Bible before Jesus comes on the scene, covering the period from 4000 B.C. to 400 B.C.). Before we move into the New Testament and…

After 70 years of Babylonian captivity, God appeared to the Babylonian king in the form of a human hand. He wrote out a message that said, “You have been weighed in the courts of heaven and found wanting. You will lose your kingdom tonight.” Daniel is called into the courtroom to interpret the message. Daniel…

While the northern kingdom had been judged by the Assyrians, the southern kingdom was a roller-coaster ride of good kings and bad kings.  A good king would come to power and move people up toward God, and then several bad kings would drive the nation back down. This roller-coaster occurred over dozens of years.  The…

After Solomon’s death, his kingdom was divided into two halves: the northern kingdom and the southern kingdom. The northern kingdom was often called Israel, comprising eleven of the twelve tribes. The southern kingdom was often called Judah (King David’s family tribe). Both had a long history of running from God, some more so than others.…

David’s family portrait was ripped down the middle in the latter years of his life. Many of the problems were traced to an incident with his son Amnon, who lusted after his half-sister Tamar. He tricked David into sending Tamar to nurse him to health when he was sick. Amnon raped Tamar, and David was…

There are three primary Monarchs (or Kings) who ruled over God’s people in the next portion of Israel’s history. The first king was Saul.  In the last chapter we learned that Saul was a humble, gracious servant. He brought God’s people together at a critical moment when they wanted to tear each other apart. King…

The time of the Judges was rife with struggle and pain, but a love story bloomed in the middle of the difficult time. The book of Ruth tells of a woman named Naomi who ran. Naomi was angry at God because He allowed her husband and sons to die. God revealed His love to Naomi…

Joshua began the attack by crossing the Jordan River. The priests stepped into the river with the Ark of the Covenant and the water stopped flowing, creating a path for the whole community. After crossing the river, Joshua told his people to pull large rocks out of the river bed and to place them on…

God instructed His people with a great Law. He taught them right and wrong, while emphasizing their continual need for forgiveness. The Law was spelled out in Exodus and Leviticus showing that God is perfect and holy. Holiness is a word that means extreme purity, perfection, and beauty. The Law further showed that the people needed…

Israel (Jacob) loved his family dearly, but he showed favoritism toward his son Joseph, much to the frustration of the other eleven. He gave Joseph a beautiful multicolored coat. Joseph’s brothers ambushed him in the fields one day, sold him to Egyptian merchants as a slave, and deceived their father into believing his favorite son had been…

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