Kings of Israel a Biblical Board Game

 I love a good board game. When I was a kid, we sat around the table playing all kinds of games. It didn’t matter if it was a board game or card game. In fact, it didn’t matter if it was a real game or one we made up.

One game we liked to play was Who Am I? a Bible game where daddy would ask us a series of questions about a person in the Bible and each question would be a bit easier than the last. Of course, we (my siblings and I) wanted to get the answer right on the first try. But we rarely was able to do that. 

The Kings of Israel a Biblical Board Game Review | Great Peace Academy

Daddy and Mom were always using games, songs, or stories to help us grow into God’s word. While learning the Bible was a very important work in our family, doing so in a way which helped us to retain the learning was as important and games were certainly a tool they used to aid in that. 

This post contains affiliate ad links to external sites where this product can be purchased. I received this game for free in exchange for my honest review. I am being compensated for my time, all opinions of the game are my own and I was not told what to write. 
 

For me, retention of God’s word is also important. Yet, it is equally important to grow into an understanding of scripture. I don’t think it’s enough to just have the ability to recite facts, but to understand how those facts apply to our lives. That’s what Kings of Israel Board Game, by Funhill Games offers. A chance to understand what was happening in Israel during the times of the kings, and what we can specifically learn that applies to our lives. 

When I first learned of this game, I assumed it would be a game filled with facts about an era of Bible history which I love. Yes, I know, most people struggle through studying the kings and prophets, but it’s one of my most favorite sections of scripture to study. Why? Well, it’s filled with wonderful insight into the mind of God and His relationship with man. On top of that we see beautifully written stories of war, conquest, drama, romantic love, betrayal, family, faithfulness, evil and amazing stories that no Hollywood movie could ever top.  

Biblical Board Game Enhances Bible Lessons

Right now, Jonathan is studying through the kings of Israel in his Bible Study lessons for homeschool. So I thought this game would be the perfect accompaniment to help him dig in a little deeper to understand his studies. And, I was right! It fits so well. Since he is still studying Solomon, we will be able to use this game for quite a while as a supplemental, fun, and challenging way to enhance Bible study in both our homeschool and family studies. 

After receiving Kings of Israel board game from Funhill Games. I was delighted to discover that it wasn’t just another Bible trivia game. In fact, it is a challenging game designed specifically to help you understand the role that idol worship played in the destruction of Israel in 721 B.C. by the Assyrians. 

The Kings of Israel a Biblical Board Game Review | Great Peace Academy
This game is unique in that all players play on one team. Yes, that’s right. You are working together to win the game. Sounds odd, yes, but after you play a bit it becomes obvious what the goal is. To overcome idol worship in the nation. Not an easy task to be sure. Working together each player acts as a prophet and their goal is to preach to the cities in Israel, teaching them to repent, and destroying false idols and altars. 

 

What becomes apparent, quickly, is that sin spreads through the nation at a rapid rate. So your work is made more difficult. You have to work together, think carefully, and plan ahead to accomplish your goal. 

Watch this video from the game designer or read here to learn how the game is played. 

 

Lessons which can be learned from
playing this Biblical Board Game 

The Kings of Israel a Biblical Board Game Review | Great Peace Academy

 

As you progress from king to king, you soon see just how evil the kings of Israel were. You find that the harder you work, the more it feels as if the cards are stacked against you, so to speak. But, that’s exactly how sin spreads.  

“Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?” ▬ 1 Corinthians 5:6.

  1. In playing this game your entire family will begin to understand the pitfall of worshiping idols and the important lesson that sin spreads. It contaminates ourselves and those around us as well. Using this as an object lesson you can begin to teach your children the importance of letting the love of God show in our hearts, protecting our own hearts from sin and preventing others from distracting us with anything that isn’t pleasing to God.
  2. The game is set, mostly, during the period after the kingdom of Israel was divided into 2 separate nations, after the reign of Solomon, although it begins with the reign of Saul, you quickly progress into the northern Kingdom of Israel. Therefore, you are playing Kings of Israel, not the kings of Judah (the southern kingdom after the division). So you learn quickly, through repetition the names of the kings of Israel, and whether they were considered good or evil. Be sure to do your own scriptural study to understand why each are considered to be either good or evil.
  3. In playing the game, your family will become more familiar with the Biblical locations of the cities of Israel on the map and get a feel for the neighboring countries as well. 
  4. Your family will quickly learn to work as a cooperative team and understand the benefit of being joined together with others in the struggle against sin.
  5. You can utilize this game as a springboard for digging into a study of the Kings of Israel, the prophets who served the Lord in an attempt to teach them repentance and the relationship God has with man kind. 
  6. For additional use, you can use this Biblical board game in conjunction with Ancient History studies of Judah, Philistia, Moab, Ammon, Aram, and Pheonicia. Because Isra was a neighboring nation to each and there was a lot of interaction between them. 

I am really impressed with this game. My husband, son and I all love a good challenge and this game is challenging! This is one of those games that you might find frustrating but in a way which makes you want to work harder to reach your goal, to win. In this case, to eliminate idol worship from the nation. 

You can see how well designed the game is. The quality of the product is top-notch. The graphics are vibrant and appealing to the eye. The quality can be felt in the of the cards and pieces in your hand with glossy images on quality card stock. The entire game was well thought out. The rules are simple to follow once you get a handle on how the game is played. The strategy and reasoning needed to accomplish the goal requires considerable cooperation thus making for a challenging yet fun time.

I was fascinated to see how quickly Jonathan picked up on the process of thinking ahead and searching out the simplest path, making decisive moves and working with his dad and I to work toward our goal. He got it. Right away I could see him reasoning through decisions and even offering excellent suggestions to Michael and myself. 

The only thing I would change is that I would assign each of the prophet cards the name of a specific Biblical prophet. Each prophet card comes with a different ability which aids in the function of the players. Since no prophet name is assigned we each select a favorite Biblical prophet and call our selves by that name, just for a bit more fun.

What You Need to Know about this Bible Board Game 

If your children and family are students of Bible learning then this is a fun board game that you will want to have at home. It’s not only fun to play with family but would make for a great day of fun playing with friends, youth groups, or a Bible class at church. And, it will also serve as an educational enhancement tool to deeper Bible knowledge. But even if you aren’t someone who studies the Bible from a Hebrew or Christian worldview it can be used to aid in historical studies of the era as well.

 

 

Educational Study Coordinated with the Biblical Board Game

The Kings of Israel a Biblical Board Game Review | Great Peace Academy

Be sure to visit Funhill Games for Bible Studies written to coordinate with this Biblical board game, Kings of Israel. If you truly want to dig in and learn while playing these lessons will aid you in educational study of the Bible or as an historical study of the era. They have lessons covering the Kings, Locations and Prophets during the times of the Kings of Israel.

You can follow Fun Hill Games on Twitter and Facebook. Stop in and visit them on their Social Networks and tell them you found them here and tag me too so I can join you in conversation and If you tweet be sure to use my handle @ReneeGreatPeace

 
 
 
 
 
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