1. Judaism: Discovering Our Religious Roots (P. 59) Covenant: The solemn promise between God and the people whom God has chosen.

2. God’s Covenant: A Special Bond with a Whole People The promises of marriage are similar to a covenant. God’s covenant with the people is a pledge of faithfulness forever and the people pledge their faithful love to God.

3. The Jews were chosen by God and continue to have a special relationship with him. The Jews as a people (not just as individuals), were the ones who carried out God’s promise of faithful love. Jesus was Jewish. The story of the Jews is also Jesus’ story. We Cannot understand Christianity without understanding Jesus’ Jewish roots.

4. Judaism, the religion of the Jews, stretches back nearly 4,000 years THE BEGINNINGS OF A PEOPLE (p. 63) Abraham (1800 BCE) A. Belonged to a tribal people known as the Hebrews. B. Covenant with Abraham: God promised that from Abraham would come a great nation and that all the families of the earth would be blessed through him and his descendants would be more numerous than the countless stars in the heavens.

5. Sarah – Abraham’s wife was beyond the age of childbearing but she and Abraham trusted in God’s promise. They traveled to Canaan, the Promised Land. God’s relationship with Abraham was the beginning of the covenant. The physical sign of the people’s commitment to the covenant was each of their male children from Abraham’s time on were circumcised.

6. The world in which Abraham lived was polytheistic (the belief in many gods). Abrahams faith developed into monotheism (the belief that only one God exists). This belief became central to the three (3) world religions that today trace their origins back to Abraham: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam (the religion of the Muslims). All believe in the God of Abraham.

7. Abraham’s Descendants, The Israelites (p. 64) Isaac married Rebekah and had a son, Jacob. God gave Jacob the name Israel meaning “one who has contended with divine and human beings.” The descendants of Jacob were known as the Israelites. Centuries later they would be known as the Jews.

8. Patriarchs of the Jewish faith: Abraham, the father of biblical faith Isaac Jacob Joseph

9. Matriarchs of the Jewish faith: Sarah (Abraham’s wife) Rebekah (Isaac’s wife) Rachel (Jacob’s wife)

10. Joseph in Egypt (P. 65) Jacob had 12 sons. His favorite was Joseph. He showed his favoritism by giving Joseph a special long robe referred to as the “coat of many colors.” His brothers were jealous and tried to kill him. However, they decided to sell him as a slave to some merchants who were on their way to Egypt.

11. From Slavery to Freedom (p. 66) The story of Moses The Israelites were enslaved under cruel Pharaohs. Moses, the people’s greatest leader, was the son of Hebrew slaves but raised in the pharaoh’s palace. Recall the story of how the baby Moses condemned to death by the ruthless Pharaoh along with all the Israelite baby boys, was found in a basket along the Nile river bank by the pharaoh’s daughter.

12. When Moses grew up, he had personal encounters with God which led him to realize he had a mission – to save his people. God told him to lead the Israelites from slavery in Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land. The holy name of God was revealed to Moses- “I am who I am” or Yahweh in Hebrew.

13. The Jews held the name Yahweh so sacred that they would not pronounce it out loud. They would substitute a Hebrew word meaning “Lord” or skip the name altogether when reading in their Scriptures.

14. The Exodus: Escape from Slavery (p. 67) Exodus: The miraculous event of God’s freeing the Israelites from slavery in Egypt about 1250 B.C.E. so they could return to Canaan, the Promised Land. The Israelites knew of God’s saving love after escaping from Egypt. They believed in God’s promises to Abraham: A. They would be a great nation in their own land, a light to all other nations.

15. Passover – The Exodus and the events leading up to it are remembered every year to this day in this Jewish feast. Seder – Special memorial meal for Passover. In this meal Jews recall how the Israelites ate a meal of Lamb, sacrificed to God, and ate unleavened bread before the left Egypt in haste. The Passover Feast

16. In The Desert (P. 68) Once the Israelites left Egypt, while they wandered in the desert they complained about their severe surroundings and lack of food. God took care of them by providing manna (small bread-like substance) and quail (small birds) to eat.

17. The Sinai Covenant (p. 68) Sinai Covenant – The pledge between God and the Israelites. God sealed the loving relationship with the people that had begun with the promise to Abraham hundreds of years before. It was on the mountaintop of Mt. Sinai that God presented Moses with the law. The Law described the Israelites end of the bargain – their part of the covenant with God.

18. The Ten Commandments – are the cornerstone of the Law given to Moses, or the Mosaic Law which is known today as the Ten Commandments. The Jews saw the Mosaic Law as a way of expressing their love and concern for each other and their devotion to the God who had freed them. They did not see the Law as a burden or restrictive in any way.

19. The Law is far more extensive than just the Ten Commandments. For the Jews, it speaks to almost every aspect of their lives. Jesus corrected peoples’ more negative understanding of the Law. For example, God’s Commandment to rest on the Sabbath. This Law was literally interpreted to mean that you could not even help someone in trouble if it was the Sabbath day.

20. Letter of the Law vs. Spirit of the Law Jesus condemned those who lived by the letter of the Law, not because he rejected the Law, but because he loved it and did not want to see it abused.

21. Wondering for 40 Years (P. 69) The Israelites grew impatient while Moses spent 40 days on the mountaintop receiving the Law from Yahweh. They built a golden calf made of melted down jewelry and offered sacrifices to it. Already they were worshipping a false god. Moses was furious. However he and God forgave them.

22. However, they spent 40 years wandering in the desert, learning through many mistakes and hardships (as well as triumphs) to trust more deeply in the God who had saved them. God was with them every step of the long way to Canaan (The Promised Land).

23. The Promised Land (p. 70) Moses never reached the Promised Land. He died before the people entered Canaan, the land promised to Abraham as a land “flowing with milk and honey.” Today, this land is identified as: A. Palestine B. Israel C. The Holy Land

24. Taking Over the Land (p. 70) Joshua, Moses’ assistant, led the Israelites into Canaan. It was not a peaceful entry. The inhabitants were not happy to see the Israelites laying claim to their land. War broke out. When the Israelites relied on their own power rather than on God’s, they met with disaster and were defeated by their enemies.

25. The Judges Judges were appointed to bring the people back to reliance on Yahweh. Judges did not have the legal function of today’s judges. A judge was more of a ruler or chief. The people saw their struggle for the Promised Land as God fighting for them in the person of the judges, who were their leaders.

26. Samson was the most familiar of the judges. Judges made the spirit of Yahweh known. As the Israelites conquered the land, it was gradually divided up among the 12 tribes of Israel, each tribe claiming its decent from one of the 12 sons of Jacob. All the Israelite tribes, led by the judges, worshipped Yahweh.

27. David King of Israel (1000 B.C.E.) Anointed by the prophet Samuel He united the 12 tribes of Israel into one united Kingdom. He set up the capital of the nation at Jerusalem. His kingdom was synonymous with the “glory days” of Israel.

28. David has shortcomings and made many mistakes. (At times, he violated the trust of his people.) David’s strong points: A. He was totally devoted to Yahweh B. He kept the people faithful to the covenant What does the story of David teach us?

29. Answer: The story of David teaches us that God can work through persons who have great weaknesses and flaws and who sin. The people saw God’s promise of Israel being a great nation continuing through David’s descendants. Solomon, David’s son, became king after David's death.

30. Solomon: A. built a beautiful temple in Jerusalem which became the focus of the people’s worship. B. became famous for his wisdom Solomon’s weaknesses: A. He ruled the people oppressively B. He began to fall away from true worship of Yahweh

31. The unity under David and its faithfulness to the covenant broke down. After Solomon’s death: A. The kingdom split into 2 kingdoms: 1. the northern kingdom (Israel) 2. the southern kingdom (Judah) There was constant rivalry between the 2 kingdoms.

32. Judah retained the capital city of Jerusalem with its great temple. Most of the kings following Solomon were corrupt and idolatrous. Ways that the kings and their courts were corrupt: A. They were unjust to the poor B. They worshipped false gods

33. The people were obviously not served well by the kings. The kings were a disgrace to the memory of David, who, though flawed, had loved Yahweh with all his heart.

34. Prophets: Calling the People back to God (p. 72) Prophets tried to call the people back to the Covenant with God. Their role was to be critics of society and of the injustices to the poor as well as the worshipping of false gods by the wicked kings and their courts. Prophets told the people what would happen if they did not turn themselves around.

35. Prophets criticized empty religious practices because they were not followed by justice to the poor. (Read the Prophet Isaiah 1: 2-4 on page 73 in your text). Sometimes the prophets were successful in helping the kings and wealthy people to change. However, for the most part, the prophets were rejected, ridiculed, and scorned.

36. The people did not want to hear what they had to say. Some famous prophets include: A. Isaiah B. Amos C. Elijah D. Hosea E. Micah F. Jeremiah G. Ezekiel

37. Defeat and Exile (p. 74) Destruction was inevitable because most of the kings did not listen to the warnings of the prophets. The great powers of the region crushed both kingdoms. The Assyrians conquered the northern kingdom of Israel with its capital, Samaria, in 722 B.C.E. The Israelites were dispersed and never returned to their land.

38. This was known as the Diaspora or Jewish Dispersion – the settling of the Jews outside the Promised Land.

39. The Babylonian Exile (p. 74) The Babylonian Empire conquered the southern kingdom of Judah and its capital, Jerusalem in 587 B.C.E. The Judahites were forced to march some 600 miles to Babylon where they were held in exile for about 50 years. The Babylonians were intolerant of the Jewish religion.

40. Some Jews lost their faith during this period and tried to blend into their pagan surroundings. However, for most Jews the Babylonian Exile led to serious thought about what the prophets had said. The Jews began to see that God (Yahweh) had not abandoned them in Jerusalem; rather, they abandoned God (Yahweh) and that was

41. why they were in exile. They began to pray and study in what later became their synagogue services. They praised God even in their sorrow. They prayed and sang psalms about how they longed for Jerusalem (also known as Zion).

42. How were the Jews purified by the experience of the Exile? (p. 76) They became closer to God through the communal process of turning around their hearts. The practice of the Sabbath, the sacred day of rest and worship, became very important to the Jews during the Exile. Why? Because it marked them as different from the Babylonians, who carried on their business every day.

43. The Jews realized that although work is very important they were ultimately a people chosen by God and never abandoned by God. This relationship with God was honored by setting aside a special time, the Sabbath, to worship God. The Sabbath continues to be central to Jewish life today.

44. People of the Book (p. 76) Before the Babylonian Exile the Jewish people told the stories of their ancient past orally. The most important happening of the Exile was that the stories, rules, prayers, and songs (some of which had been written down) were put together and edited into a whole. The Book of Genesis was compiled during the Exile.

45. The Book of Genesis contains the following stories: 1. Creation 2. Adam and Eve and the first sin 3. Noah and the flood 4. Abraham and the patriarchs

46. The stories that make up the Bible were not written at the time the events happened. Some stories were written centuries later. Again, many accounts, such as the Creation Stories, were written down by the Jews during the Babylonian Captivity as they tried to understand the world as they saw it. In other words, their worldview.