GENESIS

This book tells us that God created all things, including time, and He made the universe in six days. The first man and woman were named Adam and Eve and they were perfect. They lived in the idyllic Garden of Eden and the world had no sin or death. Yet they disobeyed the only restriction that God had given them, which was not to eat the forbidden fruit, and because of their sin, death and corruption entered the world. Mankind grew progressively more wicked and so God sent a great flood to wipe out all life on the earth. He spared his faithful servant Noah and his family by having them build a large wooden ark that contained Noah's family and a variety of animals that would be used to repopulate the earth. God began to reveal a grand plan for the redemption of mankind and the corrupted Creation. He chose a man named Abraham who trusted God through faith, and through Abraham's son Isaac, and Isaac's son Jacob, God created the nation of Israel through which will come the Redeemer and Savior of the world - the Messiah.

CHAPTERS 1–6

CHAPTERS 2–3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTERS 6–9

CHAPTER 11

CHAPTERS 12–22

CHAPTER 15 (Verses 5–6)

CHAPTERS 24–36

CHAPTERS 37–50

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EXODUS

The descendants of Israel multiply greatly in the land of Egypt and they are eventually enslaved. God reveals to His servant Moses that God is Yahweh, the self-existent God, and then He sends Moses to Egypt to lead the people out of captivity. God sends plagues against Egypt because the Pharaoh refuses to let His people go. With awesome miracles God uses Moses and Aaron to lead the entire Israelite nation out of Egypt. After the Exodus, at Mount Sinai, God makes a covenant with Israel and has Moses record the laws that the people must follow.

CHAPTERS 1–2

CHAPTERS 2–34

CHAPTER 33 (Verses 17–20)

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JOSHUA

The people could not enter the Promised Land under Moses' leadership because they failed to trust God's promises. The doubting generation perished in the wilderness outside of Israel, but under the leadership of God's faithful servant Joshua, the Israelites were finally permitted to cross the Jordan River and enter the land that God had promised to them as their inheritance. Led by Joshua, Israel defeats many enemies and destroys the city of Jericho. The prostitute Rahab and her household are alone saved from the destruction of Jericho because of her faith in Yahweh. After most of Canaan is conquered by the Israelites, Joshua has the land portioned out to each of the tribes of Israel.

CHAPTERS 1–6

CHAPTER 1 (Verse 9)

CHAPTER 24

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JUDGES

After the Israelites finally crossed the Jordan River into the Promised Land and took possession of much of the land, God appointed different "judges" to settle disputes among the people and lead the armies of Israel against their enemies. Having no government aside from the priests and judges encouraged the people to remember that God was their ruler and provided for them and protected them directly. This book is the historical record of the era of the Judges before the people cried out for an earthly king and includes the stories of such biblical heroes as Samson, Deborah, and Gideon.

CHAPTERS 6–16

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RUTH

The story of Ruth takes place during the time of the Judges after a severe famine had struck the land. When the famine was over, the Israelite widow Naomi returned to her land accompanied by her Gentile daughter-in-law Ruth, who was also a widow. Poor and destitute, they encounter Naomi's wealthy relative Boaz who takes an interest in Ruth because of her godly character. He becomes their kinsmen-redeemer and marries Ruth saving them from poverty. Ruth has long been seen as a foreshadowing of the Church and Boaz of Christ.

CHAPTERS 1–4

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1 SAMUEL

1 Samuel tells the story of the birth of the prophet Samuel and his oversight of Israel. The people demand a king rather than the God-appointed judges, so Samuel appoints Saul to be king. Saul turns out to be a wicked king and so God raises up David to succeed him. This book records the violent war with the Philistines in which David confronts a giant champion of the Philistine army named Goliath of Gath.

CHAPTERS 1–9

CHAPTERS 10–31

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2 SAMUEL

This is the record of David becoming king and his war with the House of Saul for possession of the whole kingdom. The rest of the book is an account of King David's reign, including the various wars he fought in and his sin and repentance over his affair with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband, Uriah.

CHAPTERS 1–24

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1 KINGS

This is the historical record of Solomon being appointed king and the death of his father, King David. The kingdom prospers greatly under Solomon, but in the latter half of his life he turns from God and after his death the kingdom is divided between the ten northern tribes of Israel in the north (Kingdom of Israel) and the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi in the south (Kingdom of Judah). Both kingdoms begin long moral declines as they replace worshiping Yahweh, with the worship of false gods and idols. God sends the prophet Elijah to confront Ahab, the wicked king of Israel, and his false prophets. In the end, Ahab is killed.

CHAPTERS 1–16

CHAPTERS 17–22

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2 KINGS

This book is a record of the history of the divided kingdoms of Judah and Israel beginning after the death of the wicked king of Israel, Ahab. The prophet Elijah is taken up to Heaven and he passes his responsibilities on to Elisha. Israel refuses to repent and is conquered by Assyria. Judah moves away from God, as well, but under the reigns of Hezekiah and Josiah the kingdom briefly turns back to Him and therefore remains independent for a longer period of time. However, in the end the kingdom does not cease its wickedness and is conquered by Babylon and the city of Jerusalem and the Temple are destroyed.

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1 CHRONICLES

1 and 2 Chronicles were likely written by Ezra and are detailed historical records and genealogies of Israel's history, especially from the reign of King David on. 1 Chronicles begins with a genealogy from Adam all the way to David, intermixed with small details in Israel's history. The last two-thirds of the book contains a history of King David's reign.

CHAPTER 29 (Verses 10–14)

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2 CHRONICLES

2 Chronicles is a historical record beginning with King Solomon's request for divine wisdom and ending with the destruction of Jerusalem and the Jews being sent into exile in Babylon. King Solomon builds the first Temple in Jerusalem, but after his reign ends the kingdom is split in two and both subsequently fall into decline as they turn away from God.

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EZRA

After 70 years in exile the Jews were finally allowed to return to the Promised Land. Zerubbabel and Jeshua, descendants of King David and Moses' brother Aaron, lead an effort to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. Ezra then reminds the people of the Law of Moses and implores them to obey it.

CHAPTERS 1–10

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NEHEMIAH

After the exile the Jews returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt the Temple, but the city remained in ruins. This is Nehemiah's account of his request to rebuild the city's walls and the quick accomplishment of the monumental task even as opposition mounts from the enemies of the Jews. After the walls are completed, Nehemiah gathers the people on the Feast of Trumpets and the Law of Moses is recited to them.

CHAPTERS 1–13

CHAPTER 8 (Verses 9–12)

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ESTHER

Esther was a Jewish exile who had kept her ethnicity a secret, but after she marries the king of Persia and learns that a Persian official named Haman was seeking to exterminate the Jews, she takes a step of faith by revealing her Jewish ethnicity and pleading for her people. In the end, the king sides with Esther, the Jewish people are saved, and Haman is executed.

CHAPTERS 1–10

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ACTS

In the Book of Acts, the Christian historian Luke sets out to complete the work he began in his gospel account. Luke carefully and chronologically describes exactly what happened in the early Church after Jesus ascended to Heaven. Christ sends the Holy Spirit to indwell the Believers gathered on Pentecost in Jerusalem and then the Christian faith begins spreading rapidly around the world. A violent and hate-filled man named Saul who is persecuting the early Christians, encounters the risen and glorified Christ on the road to Damascus. Christ declares to him that he will become the foremost apostle to the Gentiles. Upon believing the message, Saul is converted to Christianity and later undertakes numerous missionary journeys around the Mediterranean region as the grace-filled and obedient Paul. In the fifteenth chapter of Acts, the original apostles meet with Paul and Barnabas, and all agree that the Gentiles do not need to follow the Law of Moses because they are saved through faith (as are the believing Jews).

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 4 (Verses 12; 18–20)

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