CYCLES (Term 2) Flashcards
Transition into the fourth cycle
FROM JOSHUA TO THE EXILE
Transition: The 3rd cycle is about the history of God’s people beginning with Abraham & concluding with judgment in the wilderness cycle. 4th cycle is about history of the people of God beginning with the New start under Joshua and Caleb.
4th cycle reports that…
- The conquest and settlement of the land (Joshua)
- The origin and spread of tribal evil (Judges)
- The monarchy: United Monarchy and divided
- Judgment: Israel, Judah
Joshua: The New Agent
The fourth cycle
“The Warrior Prophet”
- Servant of Moses
- One of the 12 spies representing the tribe of Ephraim
- Lord encourages Joshua for his new role
- The Lord establishes Joshua as leader in the sight of all Israel
- Joshua gives his last will and testament: “Not one word of all the Lord’s good words has failed”
- Joshua is the “first prophet like Moses”
4th Cycle: The origin and spread of Israel’s Tribal Sins
Cycle of Israel’s sin
- Sin -Israel did the evil
- Servitude - Oppression by a foreign power
- Supplication - Cried out to the Lord
- Salvation - The Lord raised up Judges to deliver Israel
- Return to sin
- At this time, the political, religious, and moral anarchy led to the longing for kingship
- Everyone did what was right in their own eyes
- Because of wrong attitudes and wrong timing, Gods intended gift of kingship becomes God’s act of judgment
- God will answer prayers when we are waiting on His timing
Joshua: The New Start (4th Cycle)
Conquest and settlement of land
- Next step in fulfilling Lord’s promises to Abraham
- God continues to reveal Himself as warrior
- Joshua distributes the conquered land to the 12 tribes of Israel
- The dominant term in the book of Joshua is “rest”, “conquest” and “settlement”
The Monarchy (the 4th cycle)
Two main periods of time: The United Monarchy (Saul, David, Solomon) and The divided Monarchy (10 tribe Israel, and 2 tribe Judah)
The United Monarchy (The 4th cycle)
- Saul, David, Solomon
- Kingship was always part of God’s plan for Abraham’s descendants
- Israel’s demand for a king is wrong (rebelled against God’s rule)
- God keeps His word for blessings and cursing, Israel could not remain obedient through the generations (Obedience/surrender are the paths we need to take as believers)
- David was chosen to be Israel’s next king (Davidic Covenant)
- With the advance of Israel’s history, there comes a narrowing of the Father-Son relationship between God and his people
The Divided Nation (The 4th Cycle)
- After Solomon died in the time of Rehoboam, the United Nation divides into 2 nations: Israel (920-722) and Judah (920-586)
- Israel rejects Rehoboam as king, makes Jeroboam their king
- Jeroboam institutes a variety of reforms - inventing a new religion - become Jeroboam’s sin (Golden calves, non-levitical priesthood, changed religious calendar)
- Jeroboam did not repent, like Saul and Solomon.
Judgment (The 4th Cycle) Upon Israel
the Assyrian Captivity
- After two centuries of the sin of Jeroboam God executes ultimate punishment upon Israel tearing Israel from the land; at this point, the nation of Israel ceases to exist
- Israel recites their guilt to vindicate God’s justice and judgment
- Exile was because Israel had sinned, in spite of the fact that earlier God had redeemed them out of Egypt
- Their sin was in spite of warnings, and was wilful - therefore they were sent into captivity to Assyria
Judgment upon Judah (the 4th cycle)
- Babylonian Captivity
- Just as Jeroboam was the model for evil kingship in Israel, so David was the model for right kingship in Judah
- Judah is led into apostasy. Between reigns of Hezekiah and Josiah is the “evil” reign of Manasseh (son of Hezekiah)
- Judah will go into captivity; sin of idolatry
- In order to fulfill his word to Jeremiah, the LORD causes Cyrus to return Judah from captivity back to Palestine
The Fifth Cycle
- From Joshua and Zerubbabel to destruction of the second temple.
- Cycle of turning points
- Destruction of Babylonian Empire, and rise of the Persian Empire
- Agents of the new start: Cyrus king of Persia,, Zerubbabel and Joshua of Judah.
- Remnant Theme:The remnant/outcasts will be scattered to the ends of the earth. Then will be brought back, restored to the land.
- Restoration: Resurrection of the nation
- Rebuilding the restored nation: Rebuilding the temple
Agents of the New Start (5th Cycle)
PRIMARY AGENTS:
Cyrus King of Persia, Zerubbabel and Joshua of Judah
SECONDARY AGENTS:
Haggai, Zachariah, Ezra and Nehemiah.
PRIMARY agents of 5th cycle
Cyrus King of Persia
- his armies defeated the Babylonians
- Ezra reports that Cyrus is God’s agent for the restoration of “Captive Israel” to their homeland and the rebuilding of the Temple
Joshua (priestly leader) & Zerubbabel (royal leader)
- represent all Israel (along with 11 or 12 elders)
- their initial role is to lead the return of the temple furnishings and the exiles back to the land
REMNANT THEME (5th cycle)
- Remnant/outcasts of Israel will be scattered to the ends of the earth. Then this remnant will be brought back, restored to the land.
- Divine basis of restoration is the Lord’s compassion; God will create a new nation with a new spiritual dynamic.
- The temple furnishings: judah and the temple vessels will be exiled and restored
- The Glory of God: clearly, the God who has abandoned the Temple, city and land will also return to land, city and temple
- The Duration of the Captivity: when Babylon has completed its 70 years God will restore Judah to the land.
RESTORATION (5th cycle)
Divine Motive for Restoration: restoration will vindicate God’s holy name.
- Resurrection of the nation: Valley of dry bones shows God recreating the nation which has been destroyed
- Restoration is for the clans of Israel
- God will take Judah and Israel and will again make them a united nation
