Name: Kae Cee J.

Catayas Date: 11/11/2022

Course/Year: BSCE 1E Subject: RS 1

a. Write your learnings and insight about the topic, the Judges and Kings
1. Joshua
- Joshua begins right after Moses' passing, as Israel is preparing to
enter the land. Next to Moses, Joshua was chosen as the leader of
Israel. I learned that Joshua called on the people to follow the
Torah much like Moses did, and that Joshua was portrayed as the
new Moses. Because Joshua is a strong man, God picked him to
succeed Moses so that Israel wouldn't be left without a shepherd.
My understanding of this topic is that Joshua shows us the
necessity of obeying God as well as the significance of the
covenant before, during, and after God fulfills his promises.
2. Invasion of Canaan
- God gave Joshua the order to lead the Israelites across the Jordan
River and into Canaan. I learned that the invasion of Canaan
served to eradicate the wicked behavior and social customs of the
Canaanites. My understanding of this topic is that the Canaanites'
destruction was brought about by their disobedience and disrespect
of God. However, not all Canaanites were bad; some of them made
the decision to follow God.
3. Division of the land and death of Joshua
- God gave Joshua the order to split the conquered territory of
Canaan and give parts of it to each of the twelve tribes. I learned
that the twelve tribes of Israel separated and inherited the promised
land in order to expand God's people and spread their beliefs. Still,
there was a lot of land that needed to be seized. Joshua carried out
the role of God's covenant mediator throughout the remaining years
of his life. Joshua's parting words to Israel were a promise to never
waver in their devotion to God. My understanding is that Joshua
 was obedient to God, maintained his word, and remained so to the
end.
4. The Period of the Judges
- Joshua's passing marks the beginning of the Judges' period. Before
Joshua passes away, he tells the Israelites to always obey God and
to never adopt the evil behavior of the Canaanites. But even if they
had made this commitment, they had broken it. Israel ultimately
failed miserably. I learned that the judges presided over the tribes
prior to the kings. Israel's moral decline and poor leadership are
tragically shown in the book of Judges. In conclusion, there was no
moral difference between Israelites and Canaanites; it was a time
of moral chaos, and it showed Israel's need for wise and obedient
leaders. My understanding is that Israel's downfall was caused by
the judges' leadership.
5. Period of Kings
 Samuel
The book of Samuel concentrates on the new leadership that
emerged following the period of the judges. In other words, kings
are chosen to take over as Israel's new leaders. Hannah gives birth
to Samuel, who grows up to be a famous prophet and figurehead
for the Israelites. The Israelites came to Samuel and told him they
wanted a king, much like every other nation. Samuel believed it to
be a horrible idea, so he went to God for advice, and God gave
them permission to have a king. So, they set out to figure out who
had the best potential to be the king. I learned that Samuel was one
of those who remained dedicated and faithful to God since he was
also an answer to Hannah's prayer. Despite Hannah's difficulty
conceiving, God answered her prayer and gave her Samuel. My
understanding of this topic is that, despite Israel's failure during the
time of the judges, God still offers hope.
 Saul
In the tribe of Benjamin, there lived a young man named Saul. The
Israelites want a king like Saul because he was taller and much
more appealing. Saul was crowned as Israel's first king by Samuel.
Saul has all the qualities needed to be king, yet he has deep flaws.
Saul ultimately ruled himself out by blatantly disregarding God's
commands. As a result, Samuel warned Saul that God would
appoint a new king in his stead. Saul became envious when David
was chosen by God to succeed him as king of Israel, and he made
an attempt to assassinate him. I learned that Saul had every
chance of becoming a great king and leader of Israel, yet he turned
his back on God. His dishonesty, lack of moral character,
arrogance, and envy led to his demise. My conclusion on this topic
is that your destiny will depend on your character. When you have
a poor character, things will not end well for you, even if you are the
king.
 David
David is a shepherd boy and the least likely candidate to become
king, yet the well-known story of David and Goliath shows that God
chose David because of his passionate and humble faith in the God
of Israel, not because of his familial background. David begins
serving Saul as a commander, winning every battle and excelling in
every endeavor. Saul became envious of him and began to hunt
David down. David had several opportunities to kill Saul, but he
refrained because he believed God would punish Saul. David, who
succeeded Saul as the second king of Israel, had a time of
prosperity and God's favor. God gave a promise to David that from
his royal line would come a future king who’s going to build God’s
temple here on Earth and set up an eternal kingdom. But like other
people, David failed and committed sin by having an affair with the
wife of one of his soldiers. To cover up his mistakes, he killed his
 most treasured soldier, Uriah, and married Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba,
whom he slept with. David suffered the repercussions of his
conduct because God was not pleased with what he did. I learned
that although David was held up as an example of patience and
faith in God's plan in our lives, he nonetheless committed a crucial
mistake that ultimately brought about his downfall. My insight on
this is that no matter how virtuous you were, committing sin,
whether minor or big, will have consequences. There are always
repercussions to actions.
 Solomon
Solomon was the son of David and the third king of Israel. He is
often referred to as the wisest and wealthiest man who ever lived.
God appeared to Solomon and said that Solomon could ask for
whatever he want to receive from God. Solomon asked for wisdom
and knowledge so he could better govern God’s people. God was
happy that Solomon did not ask for a selfish request, so God gave
Solomon what he wanted as well as wealth and possessions
making Solomon the wealthiest man. While Solomon is revered for
his wisdom and establishing the first Jewish temple, he’s also
renowned for his sin. He had numerous wives and concubines,
indulged in idolatry, and married foreign women which was against
the Mosaic Law and this led to his downfall. I learned that Solomon
is known for being the king of Israel who built the first Temple in
Jerusalem. He was the last king of Israel before the nation splits in
two. My insight on this topic is that wisdom and knowledge is a gift
but too much is a curse.
6. Schism: The Divided Monarchy
After Solomon's passing, a dispute over taxes led to the schism of
two kingdoms. Rehoboam, Solomon's son and designated heir,
ascended to the throne but lost the favor of his subjects due to his
arrogance and poor leadership. As a result, the monarchy was
 divided. The ten northern tribes elected Jeroboam as their king, and
Jeroboam ruled Israel's northern kingdom. Meanwhile, Rehoboam's
southern kingdom, Judah, remained loyal to him. I learned that
Rehoboam's incompetence and Solomon's oppressive policies
were responsible for the separation of the kingdom. In my
understanding, oppression and bad governance will lead to revolt
and division.
b. What are the lessons you learned from this topic?
- Until today, we have needed leaders who can rule us well, guide us
in the right path, and inspire us. The books of Joshua, Judges, and
Kings describe the several traits of the Israelite leaders. If I apply
that to the present, we tend to have dominant and corrupt leaders,
much as the Judges and Kings. The lessons I gained from this topic
are that; everyone is capable of becoming a leader, but not
everyone is a genuine leader; no matter how excellent we are, we
humans will always make a mistake and sin in God's eyes; obey
God's laws and remain devoted to him; and every action has
repercussions.