Module 1: Introductory Material
Hi everyone, and welcome to the first module for the Old Testament survey course. In this section, we'll be working through some preliminary information to give you introduction to some background issues that will hopefully help you better learn and understand later material.
There are a few groups of material in this first module:
- The first group answers the questions "Why Study the Old Testament?" and "How to Study the Old Testament?"
- The second group gives an umbrella description of how the Old Testament fits in the Bible as a whole, and some Big-Picture ideas that run throughout the entire Old Testament.
- And the last group gives an overview introduction to the physical location, the history, and the writings of the Old Testament.
Module Objectives & Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this module, the student will:
- Favorably consider the necessity of and the means to study the Old Testament.
- Articulate the 'Big Picture' history of the Old Testament People of God and the overall message of the Old Testament.
- Articulate God's purpose for creation and the 'Big-Idea' themes of the Old Testament.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the literary divisions of the Old Testament Scriptures.
- Place the Major historical epochs of the Old Testament in a general chronology.
Instruction Documents
In this section, you'll find links to the instruction documents for this module. There is an instruction document for an individual student studying on their own. And there is an instruction document for students working through this material with a group. Click the links below to access those documents.
Bible/Textbook Reading
In this section, you'll find links to the list of required Bible and textbook reading for this module. The student should read the assigned Bible portions and respond according to the instructions contained in the Bible Response Reflection or Discussion documents found below. The student may read the assigned portions of the Textbook before the lectures, or they may wait and read them after the lectures to serve as review, and to fill in any additional information the student may wish to know. In this module, there are also two overview documents of the Old Testament, which are included in the assigned reading schedule. Those documents will also be found below. Click the links below to access those documents.
Bible Response Reflection Journal/Discussion
The student will choose one or more portions from the assigned Bible reading for this module and write a journal and/or discuss with their group based on that Bible passage. As you read from the Old Testament, let it be a devotional experience. Detailed instructions for this activity are given below. Click the link to see the instructions for individual journaling or the instructions for group discussion.
Lecture Videos
In this section, you will find the video lectures for all the introductory course material module. They are designed to be watched in order, but each video should make sense on its own. Before each video, there is a link to a study guide for that lecture and a link to blank, fill-in notes for that lecture. Click each banner to open access to each video. There is also a link with each video if you prefer to watch on the Rumble or YouTube interface. In addition, there is a link with each video to download the audio from the presentation for offline review. And after some of the lectures, there is a link to a summary sheet from the content of that lecture. Click each link to access those documents.
1: Why Study the Old Testament?
2: How to Study the Old Testament
3: The Unity of the Bible
4: Key Themes of God's Design
5: Big Picture Themes
6: Old Testament Geography
7: Old Testament History
8: Old Testament Literature
Reviews
In this section, you will find the review slides from the course lectures for module 1. This is a convenient way to view and review the summaries for each lecture. Click the banner to begin the slide show.
Click the prev.
and next
buttons (bottom right of the slide) to move through the slides. You can also click on any thumbnail to go directly to that slide.
It is highly recommended that the student recite these reviews out loud as an aid to memory. Some memory aids and tricks were mentioned in the Lectures for some of the summaries (e.g. SCRuB). The student should also brainstorm any shorthand memory aids to help them commit these review summaries to memory. The student should not just attempt to memorize the summaries, but also to use the summaries as a framework to understand and retain the nature and content of the Old Testament.
Course Material Response Reflection
The Student will choose one or more items from either the Video Lectures or the Course Textbook which stood out as personally significant to them. The student will then reflect and write on the item(s); how it/they challenged or added to their current understanding, and how their worldview, life, and/or ministry should be affected by their new understanding.
Detailed instructions for this activity can be found by clicking the link below:
Timeline - Step One
The student will research and present an Old Testament Timeline in seven steps over the course of all seven modules.
Step One of the Timeline should include the following information:
- The general time periods covered by the five historical epochs.
- This is just a framework designating the approximate beginning and ending of each of the epochs, which will be used in subsequent modules as a guideline for placing new information.
If you are working through this material in a group, the group leader may choose for the Timeline to be constructed as a group activity during the group meeting time.
Detailed instructions for this activity can be found by clicking the link below:
Review Quiz
This section contains a review quiz to test your understanding of the objective material for Module 1. By clicking the banner, you will be taken to a series of questions, in random order. Answer each question and then push the Submit
button to check your answers. Every question must be answered before you can submit the quiz. At the end, you will be shown your score for the entire quiz. The quiz will be different each time, so feel free to take it more than once. Click the banner to begin the quiz.
Here is a review quiz for the material covered in this module's lectures. Click the button next to the best answer for each question, or drag each term to its best definition. Then press the button at the bottom to see if your answers are correct.
Discussion/Reflection/Essay Questions
This section contains some questions for further thought and discussion from Module 1. These questions can also be used as essay questions in a classroom setting exam. It is recommended that you take time to think through these issues in order to thoroughly grasp the significance and explore the application of the material you are learning. These questions are generated from a larger group of possible questions, so they will likely be different every time you open this banner. You may reopen this banner to see different questions. Click the banner to view the questions.
The following questions are for your thoughtful consideration and discussion:
- What is God's primary purpose in the universe and how does this impact the life and mission of a modern Christian?
- How should the unity between the Old and New Testaments influence your Bible reading and understanding?
- What are the five Epochs of Old Testament history, and what does each epoch reveal about God and His purposes?
- What are the four themes of God's design for His people in the Old Testament, and how do these work out in the life of a modern Christian?
Module Completed!
Congratulations, you have reached the end of the first module. I hope that you have found it rewarding and have noticed personal growth.
I encourage you to continue on to the next module as soon as is convenience. The button below will take you to Module 2.
