Interactive DevotionalHere is a piece painted by Spanish artist Salvadore Dali in 1931. What do you notice in the details? What is the artist trying to convey? If you could travel in time, forward or backwards, what would be your first choice of times to visit? Who would you wish to meet? What questions would you have for them? Share your answers with the person beside you. |  |
Continuing with the time theme, the late historian David McCullough made a great observation - a contrast between the digital clocks of modern society and the analog pieces of yesteryear. What comments might you make regarding his observation that will apply to our class?
“I have decided that the digital watch is the perfect symbol of an imbalance in outlook in our day. It tells us only what time it is now, at this instant, as if that were all anyone would wish or need to know.” Willard’s clock sits below a statue of Clio, the muse of history, which overlooks Statuary Hall in the Capitol. “It is also a clock with two hands and an old-fashioned face,” McCullough observes, “the kind that shows what time it is now … what time it used to be … what time it will become.”
 | Time flies. Time is fleeting. Time passes. Time goes by. What does that mean for us? I remember the Kansas song, "Dust in the Wind". Are the lyrics accurate? Again, what does that mean for us as Christians? Perhaps, like me, you are thinking of James 4:13ff. |
Take a look at the short video here and see if it has connections to James 4:13ff, as well. What is the practical application of all of this talk about time?
| May we take a moment (and a deep breath) to consider how time affects others, and may we pray for patience in our actions and reactions to others. In fact, let's pray about these things right now. Now, let's think about broader time - as in the history of God's people. Let's consider an easy way to remember Biblical time and keep things straighter in our minds and memories. | |
Bible TimelinesUsing the literal numbers provided in the Bible, significant players mark specific times in world history. On your worksheet, place Jesus at the neutral year, zero. He is at the very center of every Scripture. This marks the change from BC (Before Christ) to AD (Anno Domini, meaning in the year of the Lord. Label the rest (All dates are rounded.): | |
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Next, let's fill in some more details. Considering the timeline on the next page and displayed below, what do you notice.
- What might the dotted lines indicate?
- Why is the dotted line “out-of-line” with the beginning of the New Testament?
We’ll come back to the nine periods of Biblical history, but for now, let’s better understand the three dispensations. The dotted lines show the three ages - Patriarchal, Mosaic, Christian. What do we know about these? Discuss. Add notes to your Dispensations worksheet, using the ages chart from Donnie Barnes . Add the names and years to the handout. Go over other parts of the chart and copy other notes as displayed.
Return to the Nine Periods of Bible History. Remembering these will help place smaller events in their proper order and context. We’ll get back to these eventually, but for this lesson, we only need an overview. We'll look at each division on the timeline separately, and you may take notes directly on the timeline page.
Return to the Nine Periods of Bible History. Remembering these will help place smaller events in their proper order and context. We’ll get back to these eventually, but for this lesson, we only need an overview. We'll look at each division on the timeline separately, and you may take notes directly on the timeline page.
Geography
Return to the hand-drawn map from the first two lessons. In this session, we are adding some plains to the map: the Philistine Plain, the Phoenician Plain, and the Jezreel Plain. The videos here will help us better envision the land and its features.
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