The Law, the Prophets and the Writings

In this issue we begin a new series, on the books that comprise the Old Testament, starting with “the book of origins,” Genesis.

Humanity’s journey from the Garden of Eden to the city of Babylon spanned two millennia and is retold in stories from the book of Genesis.

In a continuing study of Genesis, we trace the biblical record from Nimrod and the Tower of Babel to Abraham and the start of the Patriarchal Age.

Our continuing study of Genesis highlights various episodes in the patriarch Abraham’s life following God’s promise to make a great nation of his descendants.

As the series continues, we review the ongoing biblical account of Abraham’s sons and grandsons. Their story is one of intrigue and deceit.

Our study of Genesis continues the story of Jacob, from his return to Canaan to the treachery of his older sons, who sold their brother Joseph into slavery.

In this installment we follow the story of the patriarchs to its conclusion: Jacob’s final years, Joseph’s life in Egypt, and the birth of the ancient nation of Israel.

As the book of Exodus begins, Joseph and his generation are long dead, a new pharaoh sits on the throne of Egypt, and the outlook is bleak for the descendants of Jacob, or Israel.

The descendants of Jacob had been enslaved in Egypt for many years when Moses brought them word that God was about to rescue them. In Part 9 of the series, we trace the story of their exodus from the land of the pharaohs. 

Under the leadership of Moses, the children of Israel make their way to the Promised Land, but their 40-year journey is marked by one episode of faithlessness and rebellion after another.

As the Israelites stand poised to enter the Promised Land, Moses reminds them of their recent history and of the keys to future blessings from God.

In the final chapters of Deuteronomy—the last of the five books of Moses—the man who led the Israelites out of Egypt to the edge of the Promised Land clarifies aspects of God’s laws and of His promises and warnings to the new nation.

Few Bible scholars believe the book of Joshua, describing Israel’s conquest of the Promised Land, to be of any historical value. What does the Bible tell us about that period of history, and can it be trusted?

The idea that history repeats itself is perhaps nowhere more evident than in the story of Israel’s conquest of the Promised Land. The book of Judges records cycles of obedience, disobedience, war and deliverance as the young nation interacts with neighboring peoples and their gods.

While the concluding chapters of the book of Judges tell of the utter faithlessness into which the children of Israel had fallen, the book of Ruth relates an altogether different episode from that period in the nation’s history.

The period of the judges comes to an end when the ancient nation of Israel demands a king—for better or for worse.

David, having been named as Israel’s next king, finds himself the target of the doomed monarch, Saul.

As David takes Saul’s place on the throne of Israel, he shows himself to be a man of great strength but also of serious weaknesses.

In a continuation of ancient Israel’s troubled history, an aging King David endures more violence and intrigue among his children but ultimately passes the crown to his son Solomon.

Solomon’s kingdom has been divided, but the period of the early monarchs who succeed him is still largely defined by treachery, disloyalty and increasing idolatry.

The ancient kingdoms of Israel and Judah continue their descent into idol worship as they stray ever farther from their God.

In their descent to national downfall, the people of ancient Israel increase in idolatry despite repeated warnings from the prophets of the day. The outcome is just as God promised.

When the kingdom of Judah fails to heed the final, dire warnings of the prophets, their fate is sealed.

Isaiah is the first of the Bible’s “major prophets.” Like the others, he delivered a message of not only judgment but also restoration.

Where the first half of Isaiah’s prophetic book focuses mainly on warning Judah and surrounding nations, the second half is primarily about restoration and peace.

In this installment on the Prophets, we look at the lives and messages of Jeremiah and Ezekiel.

Who were the so-called minor prophets, and what was the purpose of their writings?

Six remaining books round out the section of the Bible known as “the Prophets.” Their messages are diverse; yet, like the other prophetic writings, they share some common themes.

Hoping to strengthen his people’s sense of identity, an anonymous chronicler documents their backstory.

The book of Lamentations, though not often cited, serves as a microcosm of the human story.

Freed from Babylonian captivity, some exiled Jews returned to rebuild Jerusalem. The books of Ezra and Nehemiah detail their story.

Nehemiah’s account chronicles his efforts not only to restore the walls of Jerusalem but also to strengthen its returning inhabitants.

What are we to do when we undergo suffering, and how are we to understand God’s role?

Solomon’s name is attached to three books of the Bible. In this installment, we focus on the Song of Songs and the book of Proverbs.

What can we learn from the book of Ecclesiastes, with its shifting viewpoints, its seeming contradictions, and its air of futility?

Sometimes referred to as “a little Bible,” the book of Psalms offers much more than just a collection of ancient Hebrew poetry.

The book of Psalms is intended to be an accompaniment to daily life, with all its ups and downs, its tests and trials.

The final installment in the series examines the multifaceted book of Daniel, which serves as a bridge from the Old Testament to the New.