The first few centuries

From conquest to division

Key to Success

• Obedience to God

• Obedience brings success– The fall of Jericho– The Judges’ victories

• Disobedience brings disaster

The Conquest

• Joshua vs. Judges– Fast vs. Slow timelines– Joshua: one generation– Judges: 200 years

• Displacing the locals– The fall of Jericho– Generational wars against the Canaanites,

Midianites & Philistines

Famous Judges• Unite a few tribes each for a specific enemy

• Deborah (vs. Canaanites)– Leads the armies of the tribes

• Gideon (vs. Midianites)– Leads the Israelites astray

• Samson (vs. Philistines)– The strong one (until came Delilah)

Cycle of Apostasy

Samuel

• Last Judge

• Unites most, if not all, the tribes– Israelites clamor for a King– Samuel protests

• Eventually caves, God helps him pick a good King: Saul

Early Kingdom

• Saul good for a while, becomes prideful– God switches kingship to the line of David– Saul “falls on his sword”

• David overthrows Saul, rules in obedience to God– New Capital: JERUSALEM!– Ark of the Covenant comes to rest there

David’s sins• David builds a powerful Israel: defeating enemies– Finally ends the Philistines (David v. Goliath)– Holy man: wrote the Book of Psalms

• David & Bathsheba– General Uriah’s wife

• Nathan curses David with family problems– One son a rapist, another a rebel

• David repented & God forgave, didn’t topple the dynasty

Davidic Dynasty• Solomon: the wise King– Built the Temple of God in Jerusalem (rebuilt a few

times)– Severe taxation but still overspent himself (army,

building projects, harem)

• After Solomon’s death, Kingdom split in half– Davidic Dynasty survived in

southern Kingdom of Judah (tribes of Judah & Simeon)

– New dynasty in northern Kingdom of Israel (other 10)

Fall of Israel

• Kingdom of Israel didn’t worship at Jerusalem– Weak kings (including Ahab, led astray by Jezebel)

• Empire of Assyria conquered Israel in 721 BC (after only 200 years)– Davidic Judah continued for another 200 years

• Judah conquered by Babylon in 587 BC– Beginning of the Babylonian captivity