Bible Studies, Inspired by Faith and Science

My Old Testament Bible studies stopped with the split between Israel and Judah. The royal families continue to intermarry, and the faith continues to be diluted by foreign beliefs. In both countries, God is worshiped on the high places while true priests and prophets preach and teach. Both royal courts are served by God's prophets. The Temple at Jerusalem contains multiple altars and is the center of Judahite worship, but Israel maintains a similar culture and symbolism in the bull statues at its boundaries. Judah and Israel straddle major trade routes and are both subject to frequent invasion as the Syrian empire rises.  So... continuing the tale... What happened to the king of Damascus? Whatever happened to Jezebel? What had a bow and arrow to do with Israel and Syria? Whose court included the prophet Jonah? Where did the prophet Amos come from? Does the Old Testament God only love His own people? Does killing God’s enemies in the Old T...

How did the golden shields in Solomon's temple turn into bronze? How is the mother of Abijam related to his father? Where did the Ethiopians do during Asa’s reign? What illness did King Asa have? What did Asa do with the remaining temple gold? How did it affect Jehoshaphat? Who were Micaiah and Zedekaiah? What happened to the relationship with Edom under Jehoram, Jehoshophat’s son? Who caused the deaths of a king of Israel and a king of Judah, both at the same time? What was Jehu famous for?  Rehoboam retains only the southern part of Israel, called Judah for the predominant tribe, after the country splits. Although he’s said to have lost ten tribes, in fact the land belongs to Judah, Simeon and Benjamin, and there are still Levites living there. It also contains Jerusalem and Solomon’s Temple, and the Temple treasures, but Shishak of Egypt attacks and steals the gold, so Rehoboam makes fake treasures from bronze. Rehoboam’s son Ab...

1. Why did the kingdoms of Judah and Israel split? 2. Did either, both or neither kingdom follow God? 3. Did either, both or neither kingdom maintain the lines of priests and Levites? 4. Why are the stories of the kings different in Kings and in Chronicles? 5. What is the significance of Jeroboam’s golden calves, and how do they relate to oxen? 6. Who was killed by a lion? 7. What’s the connection between King Nadab and the next king Baasha? 8. What happened to Jeroboam’s family under Baasha, and Baasha’s (Elah’s) under Zimri? 9. How did Zimri die? 10. Who were Tibni and Omri and why is Omri famous? The second half of 1 Kings, together with 2 Kings (2 books since they wouldn’t fit in one scroll) tells the story of God’s people from the time of Solomon to the captivity in Babylon. The two books of Chronicles tell the (much longer) story from Genesis to the return from exile. The books are probably compiled and written from combinations of the same and different source materia...