Module 3: Historical Books

Hi everyone, and welcome to the third module for the Old Testament survey course. In this section, we'll be working through the Historical Books of the Old Testament.

Upon successful completion of this module, the student will:

  • Place the Major OT people, events and books of the Historical Books in a general chronology
  • Explain the main message(s), organization, theme(s), and/or character(s) of the Historical Books.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the character of God as revealed through His revelation in the history and literature of the Historical Books.
  • Consider how God’s revelation through the Historical Books applies in the student’s life and ministry.

Below you will find links to all the study material for this module.

Course Documents

In this section, you'll find links to important and supplemental documents for this module. Click the following links to open each document. The first group contains documents that explain and give instruction for all the course activities in this module. The second group is a set of blank lecture notes which you may use as a companion for the video lectures. And the last group contains summary sheets for each Bible book covered in this module.

Instruction Guides


Lecture Notes


Bible Summaries


Lecture Videos

In this section, you will find the video lectures for the Historical Books module. They are designed to be watched in order, but each video should make sense on its own. Click each thumbnail 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 to download the audio from the presentation for offline review.

17: Intro to the Historical Books

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17: Intro to the Historical Books
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18: Joshua

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19: Judges

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20:Ruth

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21: First Samuel

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22: Second Samuel

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22: Second Samuel
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23: 1 & 2 Kings

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24: 1 & 2 Chronicles

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24: 1 & 2 Chronicles
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25: Ezra & Nehemiah

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25: Ezra & Nehemiah
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26: Esther

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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 Thumbnail picture to begin the slide show.

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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.

Review Quiz

This section is a link to a review quiz to test your understanding of the objective material for Module 3. By clicking the link, 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 Thumbnail picture to begin the quiz.

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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.


Which word best summarizes the Books of Kings?

Apostasy


Temple


Faithfulness


Divided

Excellent

Monarchy


Return


Providence


The Kingdom divided during David's Reign.

True

Sorry, it divided during the reign of his grandson Rehoboam, see Lecture 23

False

Well Done
David's sin had no enduring consequences because he was forgiven by God

True

Sorry, see Lecture 22

False

Good Job
The Book of Esther emphasizes that God exercises poetic justice.

True

Correct

False

Sorry, see Lecture 26
Which word best summarizes the Books of Samuel?

Providence


Apostasy


Temple


Conquest


Monarchy


Return


Divided


Which is NOT part of the cycle of the Book of Judges?

Faithfulness and Obedience

Well Done

Oppression

Sorry, see Lecture 19

Crying out to God

Sorry, see Lecture 19

Sin/Idolatry

Sorry, see Lecture 19
From the story of David's sin, we learn that sin has consequences, but God also makes a way for forgiveness and restoration.

True

Well Done

False

Sorry, see Lecture 22
The First Temple was completed under whose leadership?

Solomon

Good

Elijah

Sorry, see Lecture 23

Ezra

Sorry, see Lecture 23

Moses

Sorry, see Lecture 23

David

Sorry, see Lecture 23

Zerubbabel

Sorry, see Lecture 23
David was anointed king while Saul was still reigning as king.

True

Correct

False

Sorry, see Lecture 21
The Book of Joshua describes which historical epoch?

Exodus/Conquest

Well Done

Monarchy

Sorry, see Lecture 18

Prehistory

Sorry, see Lecture 18

Exile/Return

Sorry, see Lecture 18

Patriarchs

Sorry, see Lecture 18
Which of these is true?

Babylon conquered Israel in 586BC

Sorry, see Lecture 23

Assyria conquered Judah in 586BC

Sorry, see Lecture 23

Babylon conquered Judah in 586BC

Excellent

Assyria conquered Judah in 721BC

Sorry, see Lecture 23

Babylon conquered Israel in 721BC

Sorry, see Lecture 23

Assyria conquered Israel in 586BC

Sorry, see Lecture 23

Babylon conquered Israel in 586BC

Sorry, see Lecture 23
Which best describes the experience of Israel at the end of Old Testament history?

They are chastised by the exile and are conscientious to be faithful to God

Sorry, see Lecture 25

They are experiencing exile and oppression, failure and relapse into unfaithfulness.

Sorry, see Lecture 25

They are chastened by the exile, they struggle to be faithful, but it is unsure whether they will succeed

Correct

They are chastened by the exile, but remain unfaithful to God

Sorry, see Lecture 25
Which historical epoch is described in the books of Kings?

Patriarchs

Sorry, see Lecture 23

Exile/Return

Sorry, see Lecture 23

Exodus/Conquest

Sorry, see Lecture 23

Monarchy

Good Job

Prehistory

Sorry, see Lecture 23
David's failure to deal with his son Amnon's rape of Tamar eventually led to the problems with his son Absalom.

True

Well done

False

Sorry, see Lecture 22
The Book of Ruth demonstrates God's faithfulness.

True

Correct

False

Sorry, see Lecture 20
The Books of Chronicles are more positive in their description of Israelite Kings than the Books of Kings.

True

Correct

False

Sorry, see Lecture 24
All of the real kings of the Southern Kingdom were direct descendants of David.

True

Well Done

False

Sorry, see Lecture 23
The Books of Chronicles emphasize the ministry of the temple as central to the life of God's people.

True

Excellent

False

Sorry, see Lecture 24
In Joshua, the Promised Land is divided among the tribes by lot.

True

Well Done

False

Sorry, see Lecture 18
Which of these is NOT a main character in First Samuel?

Jonathan

Sorry, see Lecture 21

Saul

Sorry, see Lecture 21

Solomon

Well Done

David

Sorry, see Lecture 21

Samuel

Sorry, see Lecture 21
Which of these is NOT a theme of Joshua?

Holy War

Sorry, see Lecture 18

Complete the Conquest

Well Done

Transition of Leadership

Sorry, see Lecture 18

Inheritance

Sorry, see Lecture 18
The conversion of Rahab in the Book of Joshua is evidence that the fame of God's Name is spreading to the nations.

True

Good Job

False

Sorry, see Lecture 18
Which word best summarizes the Books of Chronicles?

Divided


Monarchy


Apostasy


Temple

Good Job

Return


Providence


The Book of Esther is organized around a problem, then a solution.

True

Excellent

False

Sorry, see Lecture 26
The Books of Chronicles narrates epochs 4-5, but also summarize epochs 1-3 in the genealogies.

True

Well Done

False

Sorry, see Lecture 24
The Book of Ruth is organized by the setting of the four scenes.

True

Good Job

False

Sorry, see Lecture 20
According to the Book of Joshua, how may of God's promises to Abraham had failed to be fulfilled?

Not a single one

Correct

Nil

Correct

None

Correct

Zero

Correct

Zilch

Correct
In the Book of Nehemiah, revival happened when they publicly read the Book of the Law.

True

Good Job

False

Sorry, see Lecture 25
Which of these is true?

Babylon conquered Judah in 721BC

Sorry, see Lecture 23

Assyria conquered Israel in 721BC

Well Done

Babylon conquered Israel in 586BC

Sorry, see Lecture 23

Assyria conquered Israel in 586BC

Sorry, see Lecture 23

Bablyon conquered Israel in 721BC

Sorry, see Lecture 23

Assyria conquered Judah in 721BC

Sorry, see Lecture 23
Which of these is a theme of the Book of Chronicles?

Contrast Faithfulness

Sorry, see Lecture 24

David and his dynasty

Good Job

Solomon's sin

Sorry, see Lecture 24

Day of the Lord

Sorry, see Lecture 24

Discussion/Reflection/Essay Questions

This section contains questions for further thought and discussion from Module 3. 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. Click the Thumbnail to view the questions.

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The following questions are for your thoughtful consideration and discussion:

  1. Describe how Deuteronomistic theology is illustrated in the Books of Joshua and Judges. How does Deuteronomistic theology impact your worldview and lifestyle.
  2. Describe the two themes of the Books of Kings. What difference should these ideas make to the worldview and lifestyle of a modern Christian?
  3. Why do you think things went so bad in the Book of Judges? What could have been done better? What lessons from this can you apply to your own life?
  4. How/What does the Book of Esther contribute to your Christian life?
  5. Compare and contrast the leadership and character of Saul, David, and Solomon. What lessons are most relevant for application to your own character and leadership?
  6. The course material emphasized that none of God's promises failed. In what ways have your observed this to be true in your life. How should this impact your attitude, goals and lifestyle?
  7. How does God work in the Book of Ruth? What does that teach us about the way He can work in our own lives?
  8. Why is the second section of Second Samuel called "David's Troubled Reign" instead of "David's Negative Reign"? What does this tell us about God's character? What difference does this make for your life?
  9. What is "Contrast Faithfulness" and how is it shown in the Book of Ruth? How does this concept inform other parts of the Bible?
  10. What is the "Davidic Covenant" and how is it fulfilled? How does this help you to understand and apply the New Testament?
  11. What is the "Prophetic Perspective"? Give examples from the Historical books. How does this apply to a modern Christian?
  12. Describe the differences between the Books of Kings and the Books of Chronicles. How does this help us understand these books? How does this help us in our Christian life?
  13. What does the Book of Judges tell us about kingship? What does this reveal about the character and purposes of God?

Module Completed!

Congratulations, you have reached the end of the third 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 4.