Firm Foundations Lesson 29: God sent prophets, Israel wouldn’t hear them

God spoke to his creation ► God  Is the creator  Merciful, wants all to repent ► He spoke throughout history  Adam and Eve  Noah  Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph  Israel and Judah  Other nations

The message of the prophets ► God’s messengers ► Can you name some examples? ► Message: repent, destroy idols, trust in the Lord ► Many Israelites worshipped idols  God won’t accept worship from them ► Reminded them of God’s laws  Given by Moses ► Told of God’s punishment  Would be conquered and carried away as slaves  Assyria to invade Israel: Isaiah 10:5,6  Babylonians to destroy Judah: Jeremiah 20:5

► Thousands of years passed, but God remembered His promise. ► God told many things about the Deliverer  Hundreds of years before He came  Through the prophets ► How could God tell about something before it happened? ► Most people weren’t interested  …but God kept His plans God’s promised Deliverer

Israel’s attitude ► Some believed, most refused ► Killed the prophets  Continued worshipping idols  Continued worshipping in the temple  Isaiah 29:13 ► We cannot fool God ► Many priests and leaders were evil ► False prophets came too  “Relax! Everything will be all right.” ► Jeremiah 6:13-14

God’s judgment ► God is patient  After warning, waited 120 years before sending the flood  Sent messengers to Israel for hundreds of years ► Israel didn’t think God would send their enemies to punish them  Assyrians conquered Israel  II Kings 17:1-8 ► Judah also refused to repent  Babylon conquered Judah  II Kings 25:1-12

Return to Jerusalem ► Many years later… ► People of Judah repented ► Lord brought them back to Jerusalem  Rebuilt Jerusalem’s walls  Rebuilt temple ► New name: Jews ► Some brought sacrifices, but most didn’t worship from the heart  Did not believe they were sinners

 ► Punished again! ► Greeks took over Jerusalem  …but God used their ________ to spread His Word! ► Romans overcame the Greeks  Made the Jews pay _____  Strict punishment and _________  Many worshipped C__s_r  Permitted ____ to worship the Lord ► Romans built many excellent _____  God used these to spread His Word

Synagogues ► Persecution scattered to many countries ► No temples - Jews built meeting houses  Cities/towns in Israel  Many cities in Asia Minor, Greece, Persia, North Africa ► Teachers read/explained writings of Moses & prophets ► Not necessarily devout

Godly Jewish believers ► Some Jews kept on believing ► Trusted the Lord, tried to obey ► Waited/watched for the coming Savior ► Thousands of years passed, they knew it would happen exactly as God said

Wrap-up ► Israel rejected God’s promises ► God never changed His plans or forgot His promises ► Preparing to show His grace & mercy to Israel and the whole world  …established a common language:__________  …established an excellent road system built by the ____________.  …Jewish meeting houses called __________ in distant countries. ► Making a way for everyone to hear about the long-promised Saviour