Old Testament Timeline

Pre-History and Genesis 1-11-Beginnings

2000 BCE

Author of Genesis: Moses
Main Characters: God, Adam, Eve, Cain, Abel, Noah.
Main Events: the creation of the world and humans, the fall of humankind, The Flood, Noah after the flood, the Table of Nations, the Tower of Babel, and the Shemites. The first book of the Pentateuch. The Pentateuch are the first five books of the old testament that provides us with early history of God's people.

Genesis 12-50

1900 BCE

Main Characters: Abraham (Abram), Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph.
The four men who stand at the foundation of our faith.
Main Events: Abraham and Isaac. Abraham shows God his faith by attempting to sacrifice Isaac.
God's covenant with Abraham's family grow into a great nation. God's promised Abraham and Sarah a son (Isaac). Isaac's sons, Jacob and Esau, were born, but Jacob was the chosen one by God for the ancestral covenant. Joseph's rise in Egypt. Patriarchs are Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph.

Exodus-Deliverance

1446 BCE

Main Characters: Moses & Pharaoh
Main Themes: Israel's Slavery out of Egypt, Plagues, the Red Sea, Israel in the desert, Israel in Mount Sinai, and the Ten Commandments. Exodus happened in these days of Moses and the Israelites conquest out of Egypt.

Leviticus-Holiness

1425 BCE

Main Character: Moses, Levites, and the people of Israel. Main Themes:
1. Law
2. Sacrifice-atonement
3. Holiness Proper worship (inside the Tabernacle)
Right living (outside the tabernacle) Offerings acceptable to God: Burnt, Cereal, Peace, Sin, and Guilt Offering. Who were the Levites? They were descendants of Levi, one of the 12 sons of Jacob, Aaron, and his family, who was chosen to be a loyal priest.

Numbers-Wondering

1415 BCE

Main Character: Themes in Numbers: 1. Faith and Obedience 2. Rebellion and Punishment 3. God's Faithfulness

Deuteronomy-Renewal

1406 BCE

Main character: Moses Three main speeches by Moses:
1) Historical review
2) Covenant stipulations
3) Blessings & curses - life & death Main Themes: No Idolatry, Driving out nations, covenant, Deuteronomy Theology. The Ten Commandments that God wrote for the people of Israel to follow. 5th book of the Pentateuch

Joshua-Conquest

1395 BCE

Main characters: Joshua, The Israelites, and Yahweh. Themes:
1. Transition of leadership (from Moses to Joshua)
After Moses' death, Joshua took reign as leader.
2. Conquest and division of Canaan (holy war)
3. Inheritance
4. God's faithfulness to His promises 3 Main Sections of Numbers:
1. at Mount Sinai
2. In the Desert
3. Plains of Moab Conquest-3rd Epochs

Judges-Apostasy

1380 BCE

Main characters: Joshua, the (12) judges
Introduction:
- Joshua - faith and obedience
- Judges - rebellion and punishment
- Authorship - anonymous, tradition Samuel
- Probably about the early monarch
- Interesting stories
Cycles in the Book: Sin -> War as judgment (oppression) -> Repentance (crying out) -> Deliverance (rescue)
Cycles of Judges:
- Judges, not just legal experts, but all-around leaders. There were major and minor judges. Judges part of the 3rd Epochs

Ruth-Faithfulness

1275 BCE

Main characters: Naomi (Ruth's mother-in-law), Ruth (Naomi's daughter-in-law; Moabite widow; soon-to-be wife of Boaz), and Boaz (wealthy relative of Naomi's late husband from Bethlehem; soon-to-be husband of Ruth)
Main Events: Ruth faithfully followed Naomi back to Bethlehem; Ruth worked for Boaz on his threshing floor; Boaz married Ruth, giving her a son (Boaz is three generations before David)
Main themes: Covenant faithfulness, faithfulness by contrast, sovereign faithfulness, David

1 Samuel-Transitions

1120 BCE

Main Characters:
1. Samuel, last of Judges
2. Saul was the first king of the Israel people, but he was disobedient.
3. Jonathan contrasts with his father, Saul (generous), a faithful friend to David.
4. David is a man after God's own heart. King of Israel after Saul's death. Organization of 1 Samuel: Transition to Monarchy and David's Rise and Saul's Decline Key Themes:
Deuteronomistic Theology
Character
Kingship
Preparation
Contrast Faithfulness Monarchy/Divided Kingdom 4th Epoch

2 Samuel-David

1011 BCE

Main Characters: David
Organization: David's rise to power in Judah reigned over all of Israel.
4 Blessings of God's covenant with David
A secure dwelling for Israel forever
Solomon to build God's Temple
Establish a father-son relationship with David's descendants.
Loving-Kindness would not depart from David's line Main Themes:
David's Rise to Kingship in Israel
David selects Jerusalem as his capital
God makes a covenant with David
David's sin and its consequences Exile-Return 5th Epochs