Über die Autorinnen und Autoren

Ray Vander Laan is the founder of That the World May Know Ministries and creator of the Faith Lessons video series with Focus on the Family. An ordained minister, he holds the chair of biblical cultural studies as a religion instructor at Holland Christian Schools in Holland, Michigan. He and his wife, Esther, have four children and fifteen grandchildren.

Stephen and Amanda Sorenson are founders of Sorenson Communications and have co-written many small group curriculum guidebooks, including the entire Faith Lessons series.

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Filmed on location in Israel, Faith Lessons is a unique video series that brings God's Word to life with astounding relevance. By weaving together the Bible's fascinating historical, cultural, religious, and geographical contexts, teacher and historian Ray Vander Laan reveals keen insights into the Scriptures' significance for modern believers. These illuminating "faith lessons" afford a new understanding of the Bible that will ground your convictions and transform your life. The Faith Lessons video series is ideal for use at home, especially in personal and family Bible studies. Individual believers and families will gain vital insights from long-ago times and cultures through this innovative approach to Bible study.

The six sessions include:
1. Innocent Blood - Part 1
2. Inncoent Blood - Part 2
3. Who is God?
4. Wages of Sin
5. The Lord is My Shepherd
6. God with Us

6 sessions; 1 DVD with leader's guide, 110 minutes (approximate).

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Prophets and Kings Discovery Guide

Zondervan

Contents

Introduction.............................................7Session One Innocent Blood-Part One.....................11Session Two Innocent Blood-Part Two.....................43Session Three Who Is God?................................73Session Four The Wages of Sin............................101Session Five The Lord Is My Shepherd.....................133Session Six God with Us.................................165Bibliography.............................................199

Chapter One

INNOCENT BLOOD - PART ONE

Tel Megiddo, where this session was filmed, is located at a strategic mountain pass overlooking the Plain of Jezreel, which made the city of Megiddo one of the most important cities in ancient Israel. The Via Maris, the main trade route between the dominant world powers of the day-Egypt and the Mesopotamian empires of Assyria, Babylon, and Persia-crossed the mountains at Megiddo. So whoever controlled the city could exert great power over world trade and have significant influence over world culture.

In fact, the Via Maris was one source of Solomon's wealth because God gave him the political might to control the key cities along that trade route-Hazor, Gezer, and of course Megiddo. Some scholars believe that because of Megiddo's strategic location more battles have been fought in the Jezreel Valley below it than in any other place in the world. But in the context of the Bible, Megiddo represents more than political control, more than economic and cultural influence. It also represents the battle for spiritual control of the minds and hearts of people-the ongoing battle between good and evil. That battle was waged when the people of ancient Israel lived in the land, it continues to this day, and it will culminate in the battle of Har Megiddo, or Armageddon. So let's take a closer look at the significance of Tel Megiddo.

Centuries before the Israelites settled in the Promised Land (from about 2950-2350 BC), Megiddo was a prominent "high place" where the people of Canaan worshiped their fertility god, Baal, and his supposed mistress, Asherah. The Canaanite worship practices demonstrated a blatant disregard for human life and God's laws concerning human sexuality, so when the Israelites settled in the land, their beliefs and values clashed with those of the Canaanite residents.

Over time, however, the lure of Canaanite culture induced the Israelites to participate in the worship of Baal and Asherah. These fertility gods, whom the Canaanites credited with providing rain for the lush crops of the Jezreel Valley, had an appeal that the God of Israel, whom the people of Israel knew primarily as the God of the desert wilderness, did not have. As time passed, the worship practices of the Canaanites became more and more a part of life for the Israelites. Even Israel's kings-especially King Ahab and his wife, Jezebel (who had been a priestess of Baal in her homeland of Phoenicia)-encouraged Baal worship.

The rituals of Baal worship included sexual intercourse with temple prostitutes and the sacrifice of infants in order to induce the gods to send rain for the crops. Thus, the Israelites engaged in detestable acts and even sacrificed their children in order to ensure personal gain and success. These practices perverted two of the most beautiful gifts God gave humankind: human life and the sexual relationship between a husband and wife within the bonds of marriage. The horror of these abominable practices that stand in opposition to God's commands will challenge us to consider ways in which we also pervert God's gifts.

Note: Because of the length and nature of the material covered in this video presentation we'll take two sessions to complete the study. Part one will involve viewing the entire segment followed by Bible Discovery and Discussion. Part two will begin with a DVD review followed by Bible Discovery and Discussion.

Opening Thoughts (3 minutes)

The Very Words of God

Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left. Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear by them. You must not serve them or bow down to them. But you are to hold fast to the Lord your God. Joshua 23:6-8

Think About It

God's people have always been participants in the great spiritual battle between good and evil-between the values of God and the values of Satan. The battle for control of our hearts, minds, and souls continues to take place today just as it did for God's people in ancient times.

In which area(s) of your life are you most aware of the battle between good and evil? In what ways do you think the battle you face is like or unlike the battle faced by the people you read about in the Bible?

DVD Teaching Notes (33 minutes)

Megiddo:

A place of significance

Battleground for control of the world

Baal worship:

The practices

The significance for Israel

The significance for us

DVD Discussion (5 minutes)

1. Which images and/or thoughts made the most powerful impressions on you? Why?

2. What similarities do you see between the culture in which you live and the Canaanite culture?

How would you compare the ways in which you respond to and interact with your culture to the ways in which the ancient Israelites responded to and interacted with Canaanite culture?

Small Group Bible Discovery and Discussion (10 minutes)

The Battle for Control-More Than Just Survival

Life in the ancient Near East was not easy. In order to survive, multiply, and prosper, people needed physical safety, water, food, and resources such as fertile land, fertile flocks, and families. Before they ever set foot in the Promised Land, God assured his people that he would provide these essentials-and give them abundantly-if they would be faithful to worship and obey him always (Deuteronomy 11). But the people who occupied Canaan believed that such gifts of life came from another source: Baal and his mistress, Asherah. The ensuing clash of beliefs and values between the Canaanites and the Israelites was not only a battle for survival in their environment; it was a battle with far-reaching spiritual implications: a battle for the hearts, minds, and souls of God's people.

1. What did King Solomon do at Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer? (See 1 Kings 9:15-17.)

Why was it important for Solomon to build walls around the three main cities along the Via Maris in Israel?

Discuss the possible political, financial, cultural, and spiritual impact of these improvements.

DATA FILE

The Via Maris-Lifeline of Civilizations

Why It Was Vital

In ancient times, Egypt (to the southwest of Israel) and the Mesopotamian empires of Assyria, Babylon, and Persia (to the northeast of Israel) required the exchange of vital goods. Whoever controlled the road between these empires dominated international trade and exerted great influence on other cultures. The rugged mountain ranges of Samaria, Judea, and Hebron cut through the middle of Israel, making...