My notes for teaching the Old Testament. Especially for the women of South Sudan and Sudan.
The best way to view this course is to open two parallel pages.
Go to 'VIEW' – 'ZOOM' – 'TWO PAGES'.
Leader’s notes will be on the left. Student notes on the right. (for Acrobat PDF, go to 'VIEW' - 'PAGE DISPLAY' - 'TWO PAGE VIEW')
Foreword
To live a Christian life according to God’s instructions as revealed in His Holy Book, the Bible, is very hard. All Christians need to develop good knowledge of Christian values then choose to live by them every day of our lives. That way our church and world would be a better place.
All Christians need to understand how God has dealt with His people over the centuries. When this is appreciated, it becomes much easier to see what God is doing today. This is often behind the scenes. Our eyes see many awful events; we focus on them. We need to educate our hearts to look beyond what our eyes see, to perceive our loving Creator’s hands on His people.
This course on the Old Testament will help anyone, especially Christian ladies, to see and understand the big picture of God’s plan for humankind. God is working out His purpose day by day and year by year.
Hon. Dr Salwa Gabriel Berberi
Faithful member of All Saints Cathedral, Juba and
formerly serving as Deputy Minister of Cabinet Affairs and
Undersecretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in the Republic of South Sudan.
11th December 2016.
Thank you!
A big thank you to supporters, largely in the UK but also from the Netherlands, Australia and USA, who have covered the financial costs of producing this book.
Also, thank you to Claude and Julie Bennie who proof-read the manuscript and painstakingly checked all Bible references.
Thank you to the FUSION ladies group in Cornwall UK, on whom these lessons were tried out in England.
And thank you especially to Peter and Rachel’s three congregations for field testing the early lessons.
Last but not least, thank you to the Fellowship of Christian University Students for organising the printing and distribution in and from Juba, South Sudan.
My Notes
for
Teaching
the
Old Testament
by Mama Brenda
Published by WeeFour Publications, January 2017
Mail: 4 Adelaide Road, Redruth, Cornwall, TR15 2HQ, England
Phone (from within UK): 01209 315652
Email: brendaonmac@bonusfish.com
Website: www.colinsalter.net
Old Testament overview - learning from people who were there.
Contents
Bible library…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. page 1
Maps……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2
Timeline……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3
Introduction to using this study guide…………………………………………………………………………………. 3
Lessons and leader’s notes
1. So why study the Bible?......................................................................................................... 4
2. Genesis………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 7
3. Sarah & Hagar…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 10
4. Rebekah………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 13
5. Rachel, Leah and Jacob…………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 16
6. Tamar……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 20
7. Joseph………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 22
8. Moses and the Passover........................................................................................................ 25
9. Wanderings and war………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 29
10. The Law……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 33
11. Battles, backsliding and belief……………………………………………………………………………………….. 37
12. Kings………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 41
13. The Divided kingdom…………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 45
14 Prophets to the Northern Kingdom, Israel - Amos, Hosea and Jonah…49
15. Prophets to the Southern Kingdom, Judah – Isaiah, Micah, Zephaniah,
Nahum, Jeremiah, Obadiah, Joel, Habakkuk…………………………………………………………..53
16. Daniel, Ezekiel, Esther…………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 57
17. Going back to Jerusalem - Ezra, Haggai and Zechariah………………………………… 61
18. Nehemiah and Malachi……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 65
19. Wisdom literature - Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs………………69
20. Psalms - Israel in song…………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 73
21. Job (& his wife) ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 77
22. Who is the God who has done all these things………………………………………………………….81
23. Christmas / Easter………………………………………………………………………………………………… 84/86
24. Depression / wisdom and knowledge……………………………………………………………………. 90/92
Bibliography
If every student does not have their own copy of this book and you have the facility to copy notes for your ladies, you will need to copy the right hand side pages in each lesson, plus this contents page, the Bible library page, the two map pages and the timeline page, to go with the first lesson.
Old Testament overview - learning from people who were there.
The Bible library is made up of 66 books,
some history, some poetry (wisdom literature),
some prophecy and some letters.
Page 1
Page 2
Timeline 2000 B.C. - 1A.D. - the dates on this scale are vague, as many dates are in history - a broad sweep across a large canvas. They give us an idea of what follows what, what was at the same time as what, not an exact date. We need to see the context of Bible history, and then see the meaning for them and for us - applying truth to our lives now.
Date Hebrew history Dominant power Events in North East Africa
2000 BC Patriarchs - Egypt Many pyramids existed
Abraham in Egypt
1900 Isaac
Jacob
1800 Joseph
1700 Kingdom of Cush -capital Kerma - south of 3rd cataract, on trade route
1600 slavery
Arabia becomes a trading centre
1500 Exodus Cush, a colony of Egypt-mined gold
Moses
1400
Joshua
1300 Judges Jebel Barkal capital - black
kingdoms of Nile until 300 BC
1200
1100
Kingdom Saul
1000 David Syria
900 Solomon Queen Sheba visits, from Yemen?
Divided kingdom
800 Assyria
Fall of Israel Black Pharoahs -c.721-640B.C.
700 captivity including Nubian King Shabak
Babylon
600 Fall of Jerusalem
captivity Medo-Persia
500 Capital of Nubia moved to Meroe
Restoration c.590. Iron smelted
400 Nehemiah Meroitic language written
Ezra and read
300 Greece
200
100 Rome
1 BC/1 A D
Introduction to using this study guide.
I want you to understand how this book came to be, and the reasoning behind it.
Three major influences:
1. This set of statistics:
We remember 10% of what we read
We remember 20% of what we see
We remember 30% of what we hear
We remember 50% of what we see and hear
We remember 70% of what we collaborate on
We remember 80% of what we are involved in doing
2. I did a course to teach TESOL English - a method using student involvement and
fun!
3. The experience of teaching Bible classes with ladies who did not want just an
‘I speak and you listen’ environment.
So - the studies in the last 10 years with Fusion - the name for our ladies’ group: “a process in which different things combine together to form something new” (Macmillan School Dictionary, Oxford, 2004) - have involved teaching from me, finding facts and discussing scripture in small groups within a larger group context, having notes to keep and write on, and having homework - usually reading the Bible ahead for the next study. Remember your Bible!
No two sessions will be the same in structure - it will depend on the subject.
Work sheets (the numbered pages on the right hand side) sometimes have the answers to what the ladies have been discussing - so keep those sheets until after they have shared what they have found!! Sometimes you may need to give the notes out at the beginning, and gently encourage whole group answers and discussion. Always consult your Bible!
Think as you prepare, of things that may be asked - my notes may help, you will also have some cultural answers. If you do not have the answer to a question that is raised, say so. Say you will research the answer and tell the group next time. Keep the promise!!
It is important to encourage the quieter members of the group to take part. Breaking into smaller groups for discussion can be helpful here. Be gentle how you reject an obviously wrong answer. Encourage the ladies to have paper and pencil with them, alongside their Bibles!
These studies have assumed that the ladies read and write, have access to a Bible they can understand, and that it is possible to print sheets for them, lesson by lesson. This may not be the situation where you are. Be creative. You may need to have some Bible passages read to the ladies. You may need to translate as you go, or translate notes beforehand!! Understand the aim of the lesson and get there, not as a dictator but as a gentle friend, in the best way for your group. Use the material and adapt the method. The ladies who work orally only, may well have better memories than the rest of us!
You may decide to make some lessons take two sessions. You are in charge.
Enjoy studying together. Enjoy learning more about God.
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