In this session, we will pull back the curtain on Israel’s history to hear some of the prophetic voices that were calling the Jews back to God, although usually in vain

In this session, we will pull back the curtain on Israel’s history to hear some of the prophetic voices that were calling the Jews back to God, although usually in vain. These prophets were especially active during the tumultuous years of the Divided Kingdom. We will also see more of the nature of God’s heart in the wisdom literature of the Old Testament. In these writings there sounds a constant theme of expectation and hope of better days to come. And then there is silence for 400 years, at least in the Biblical writings. But plenty was happening historically during this period of silence preceding the coming of Christ Jesus, a time span we call the “Intertestamental Period.” In this session, we will trace some of the key events of this period that set the stage for the dawn of the Messiah.

• Discussion: Life as God Intended
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• The Wisdom Literature of the Old Testament pictures life from God’s perspective, or life as God intended it to be. After reading the selected Bible passages from the Wisdom Literature, as well as chapter 6 in Knowing the Bible 101, discuss with your classmates which parts of these writings most resonated with life as you know it, or with life as you have experienced it. In other words, did you find these writings to be real, relevant, and meaningful? Why or why not?