1. Identify and explain the significance of key terms, passages, people, and themes from this section including: Solomon, Israel, Judah, 1 Kings 17-18, prophets, Elijah, Elisha, Jonah, Joel, Amos, Hosea, Gomer, Nineveh, Assyria, 2 Kings 17, judgment, and remnant.
2. Locate on a map the key places in this section, including: Israel (northern kingdom), Judah (southern kingdom), Jerusalem, Assyria, Nineveh, and Babylonia.
3. Know the sequence of events and match them to the proper site for this period.
Solomon's death - Northern kingdom
Elijah and the prophets of Baal - Nineveh
Jonah's call - Jerusalem
Hosea's ministry - Mt. Carmel
Assyrian conquest - Israel
4. Explain the Scriptural teaching on judgment and why God inflicted judgment on the northern kingdom.
Required Readings and Study Items
(Bible software upgrade may be required for "Dictionary" and "Study Bible Notes", see "Order" button on "Cover")
1. Discovering God, Philip Yancey, pp. 75-86, Zondervan Publishing House: Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1989 (click on the "Text" button).
2. Click on the "Text" button and then click on unfamiliar words or phrases in blue and bold type.
3. Click on the "Explore" button, open the Bible Dictionary, and do a search on the words, terms and people listed in Learning Objectives #1 and #2. Scroll through the search "hits" and read the key article(s) associated with each term.
4. Click on the "Explore" button, open the Study Bible Notes, and read the following:
A. "Theme and Message" to the book of Hosea
B. "Author" and "Theme and Message" to the book of Amos
C. "Message" to the book of Joel
D. "Interpretation" to the book of Jonah
5. Click on the "Study" button and learn:
Geography - "Major Areas" and "Divided Kingdom & Return"
6. Click on the "Library" button and read the "References" associated with the "Northern Kingdom" section.
7. Click on the “Links” button in this section and follow each link to other related areas of study.
8. Click on the "Facts" button and review the Bible facts associated with 1 & 2 Kings, Jonah, Joel, Amos, and Hosea.
Suggested Readings
1. 1 Kings 18:1-19:18. After reading these two passages, reflect on how Elijah could participate with God in such a magnificent victory over the prophets of Baal and then end up in utter despair, fearing for his life.
2. "Kings, Chronicles, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Jonah," by Raymond B. Dillard & Tremper Longman, pp. 149-178, 353-384, 391-396, in An Introduction to the Old Testament, Zondervan Publishing House: Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1994.
3. "I & II Kings, I & II Chronicles, Hosea, Joel, Amos, and Jonah," by John Sailhammer, pp. 250-301, 414-419, 421-422 in NIV Compact Bible Commentary, Zondervan Publishing House: Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1994.
4. "The Books of Kings, Chronicles, Hosea, Joel, Amos, and Jonah," by R.K. Harrison, pp. 719-738, 1152-1172, 859-897, 904-918 in Introduction to the Old Testament, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1969.
5. "The Kindness of God: Jonah," Stuart Briscoe, pp. 71-85 in Taking God Seriously, Word Books: Waco, Texas, 1986.
6. "Introduction," J. A. Motyer, pp. 15-23 in The Day of the Lion, InterVarsity Press: Downers Grove, Illinois, 1974.
For Further Review:
Go to the next page and test yourself by taking the quiz over the material which you have studied. When you have finished, check your answers by clicking on the "Answers" button.
NORTHERN KINGDOM: QUIZ
1. In your own words, describe why the kingdom of Israel divided into two parts upon the death of Solomon and how God began to speak to both Israel and Judah after that point in time.
4. The major theme of Amos' prophetic ministry to Israel concerned:
A. social justice and the exploitation of the poor and the oppressed
B. God's judgment against Assyria
C. the unleashing of locusts upon the land of Israel
D. the menace of the Assyrians
5. God describes himself as a "Wounded Lover" in the book of:
A. Joel
B. Jonah
C. Hosea
D. Amos
6. Which prophet is most directly quoted in the book of Acts?
A. Joel
B. Jonah
C. Hosea
D. Amos
7. The book of Jonah can most accurately be interpreted as:
A. historical fiction
B. real events in the life and ministry of the prophet
C an allegory showing God's love
D. a metaphor for the consequences of disobedience
8. Which of the following came first?
A. Elijah and the confrontation with the prophets of Baal
B. Hosea's ministry
C. Jonah's call
D. The Assyrian conquest of Israel
9. Assyria was to the ____________ of Israel:
A. Southwest
B. Northwest
C. Northeast
D. South, southeast
10. After his magnificent victory over the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel, Elijah was suffering from:
A. stress and burnout
B. fatigue and fear
C. illness and ineffectiveness
D. egotism and pride
11. In your own words, explain why God judged the nation of Israel and what his objective was in doing so. In addition, describe the understanding of "judgment" from the perspective of the New Testament.
