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ABRAHAM- MOSES Abraham - Lived in Ur. - It was God who took the initiative. It was God who first called Abraham and asked him to leave his homeland and go to an unknown destination. It is true that God promised many blessings to Abraham, but at that moment Abraham could not y...

ABRAHAM- MOSES Abraham - Lived in Ur. - It was God who took the initiative. It was God who first called Abraham and asked him to leave his homeland and go to an unknown destination. It is true that God promised many blessings to Abraham, but at that moment Abraham could not yet see those blessings. Yet, he believed in God. On the strength of God’s word Abraham left everything behind and went on his way to that unknown land. Throughout his journey Abraham often called on guidance, Abraham was able to overcome all the hardships and difficulties of the journey. - Father: Terah (Gen. 11:26) - Sarai - Sarah (Gen. 11:29)- Meaning of her name: “Princess of the multitude” - Isaac (Gen. 21:2-3) - Hagar (Gen. 16:3) - Ishmael (Gen. 16:15-16) God’s covenant with Abraham - Abraham will be the Father of all many nations. - God will always be the God of Abraham and his descendants. - The land of Canaan will be given as permanent possession to Abraham and his descendants after him. ISAAC - is married to only a woman named Rebecca. - They had twin boys (Esau (Hairy) and Jacob (Skinny)). - Isaac favored Esau more and Rebecca favored Jacob more. JACOB - means “Heel-Catcher”. - Esau’s Twin Brother. - He worked for 14 years just to marry Rachel - The Father of the 12 Tribes of Israel. TWELVE TRIBES - were said to have descended from the 12 sons of the patriarch Jacob (who was later named Israel) by two wives, Leah and Rachel, and two concubines (servants of Leah and Rachel), Zilpah and Bilhah. JOSEPH (THE DREAMER) - Jacob’s favorite and he even made him a cloak. - His brothers were jealous of him. - Became a slave of Potiphar and was accused of rape because of Potiphar‘s wife, Zuleika. MOSES - comes from the Hebrew verb, meaning "to pull out/draw out" [of water]. - After the ten plagues, he led the Israelites to the promised land. - He was the one who introduced the ten commandments. - Father: Amram  - Brother: Aaron- the brother of Moses who helped him to converse with the King of Egypt. - Sister: Miriam - Wife: Zipporah, daughter of Jethro- priest of Midian. - Son: GERSHOM – the son of Moses (“I have been a sojourner in a foreign land”) TEN PLAGUES 1. Water turned into blood 6. Boils 2. Frogs 7. Hail 3. Lice or gnats 8. Locusts 4. Flies 9. Darkness 5. Pestilence/ Death of Livestock 10. Death of the First born RED SEA – is where Moses and the Israelites lost the Egyptian army. CANAAN – the land of milk and honey and the land which God promised. THE ARK OF THE CONVENANT PASSOVER: see Exodus 12: 1- 28 TEN COMMANDMENTS I AM THE LORD, YOUR GOD: 1. You shall adore me alone, and love me above all. 2. You shall use my name with respect. 3. Remember to keep holy the Lord’s day. 4. Honor your father and your mother. 5. You shall not kill. 6. You shall not commit adultery. 7. You shall not steal. 8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 9. You shall not desire your neighbor’s wife. 10. You shall not desire your neighbor’s goods. LEVITICUS: called Leviticus because the tribe of Levi who took care of the priestly functions and duties in the community. BOOK OF NUMBERS(Nm.) describes Israel’s journey from Mt. Sinai to Canaan, the promised land. It is the second lap of their journey through the desert, the first having been from Egypt to Mt. Sinai. DEUTERONOMY: - Moses is presented as giving his last will and testament. - Contains thus many instructions and admonitions. - Means repetition of the law or the second law. JOSHUA- FALL OF JERUSALEM Joshua - Successor of Moses. - Known as: Joshua the son of Nun - Father: Nun  - Tribe: Ephraim Book of Joshua - Gives due credit to God’s role in the conquest of the promised land. - God gave orders and led them to their success. RAHAB- The woman who helped the two spies (Israelites) in Jericho. JUDGES - local heroes GIDEON - was the one who destroyed the altar of the strange gods which his own father had erected. - Gideon defeated the Medianites. SAMSON - Father: Manoah - His birth was described as miraculous intervention of God. - Exceptionally strong and his strength found no match among his own people or his enemies. - The Lord made use Samson’s great strength to defeat the enemies of his people. DELILAH - The woman who betrayed Samson. RUTH - Means COMPANIONSHIP - A Moabite woman who shows her loyalty to the line of her husband. NAOMI - mother- in- law of Ruth MAHLON AND CHILLON - sons of Naomi BOAZ - close relative of Ruth’s husband. - (second) husband of Ruth  BOAZ RUTH OBED JESSE DAVID D SOLOMON SAMUEL - Acted a s abridge between the period of the book of judges and the period of kings. His story is described in the two books of Samuel. KING SAUL - People cried to have a king who would unite them and fight their battles, through Samuel, the last judge, God gave them a king, Saul reigned over them about 1030 to 1010 B.C. Saul’s king was a failure. He displeased Yahweh. After initial victories, he was defeated by the combined forces of the philistines. In the decisive battle of Gilboa, Saul and his sons met their death. KING DAVID - After king Saul died, David took over the crown, he was successful, he acted according to the Yahweh’s heart. He led his people from victory to victory, not only against the philistines but also against the neighboring kingdoms, so that during his long reign of 40 years around 1010-970 B.C. By the stroke of brilliance, he settled the ark of Yahweh in it, making the city of Jerusalem the center of the political, administrative ang religious life of people of Israel. KING SOLOMON - King Solomon was the son of King David. King David was able to pass to his son, Solomon therefore, was freed for the preoccupation of the war. He directed his energy, resource and genius into making buildings, engaging in commerce and the pursuit of wisdom. It was to Solomon’s credits promote literary activities. During his reign around 970-931 B.C. Paradoxically, Solomon’s achievements were the reasons for his downfall. His commercial and political contacts brought him to marry wives, most of them probably for political reasons. His many buildings projects imposed a heavy burden on his subjects in the form of taxation and forced labor. This estranged him from his people. So, at his death, a great discontent prevailed among the people. The lack of tact and sensitivity of his son and heir Rehoboam brought the kingdom into schism. THE DIVISION AND FALL OF THE KINGDOM God had told Solomon that because of his sin his kingdom would be divided after his death. And so it happened. During the second half of his reign, king Solomon had many national building projects. For these he needed manpower, materials and money. All of these had to come from the people in the form of taxes. This caused much discontent among them, especially because two southern tribes were favored. After Solomon’s death the ten Northern tribes requested to lower taxes and for the restoration of their former privileges. Against better advice Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, refused to give in. This led to the division of the kingdom: the Kingdom of Judah in the South, the Kingdom of Israel in the North with the leadership of Jeroboam. SOME PROPHETS OF THE NORTH 1. Amos 2. Hosea FALL OF ISRAEL In spite of the urgent pleadings of the prophets Israel did not change its ways. Assyria conquered the kingdom of Israel in the year 722 B.C. KINGDOM OF JUDAH PROPHETS OF THE SOUTH 1. Micah 2. Isaiah THE FALL OF JUDAH The days came when Jeremiah’s warning became reality. Babylonian armies entered Jerusalem in the year 597 B.C. They banished the king and the leaders of the people. Th city and the temple were not touched. Thus the people said to Jeremiah had been wrong The Babylonian armies returned in the year 586 B.C. This time they reduced the city and the temple to rubble. Some people had escaped to Egypt, among them Jeremiah. Some were left behind, but most of the people were led into exile as prisoners to Babylon. Holy Remnant in Babylon Synagogue- became the center of religious and social life of the local Jewish communities. Scribes- writers of the law. Prophets of Hope 1. Ezekiel- belonged to the priestly family. He was among the group of people that was banished together with the king before Jerusalem was destroyed. It was in exile that Ezekiel received his prophetic call and mission. 2. Isaiah- He prophesied that Cyrus was the instrument which God would use to liberate Israel. God was the Lord of History and would make Israel the light of the nations. This message brought consolation to the people. The People of God Return to Jerusalem Cyrus of Persia- entered the Babylon as a friend. He did not apply the ban, the total destruction of the conquered people and their possessions. He did not destroy their city, nor did he take the people as captives. No great wonder then that he gave freedom to the Israelites and allowed them to go back to their homeland. Nehemiah- Appointed governor of Judah. He was a very practical man. A man of faith. He knew social reforms alone were not sufficient. So he called Ezra to assist him. Ezra- a priest and a scribe. He worried together with Nehemiah and took charge of religious reforms and re- organization.