Books of the Law and the Books of History in the Old Testament
From these books we learn who God is, his power and greatness, how he worked, and who his chosen nation is.
Because we are no longer under the Law, much of the Old Testament which was directive for the Hebrews at that time is not directive for us. Also, description of situations is often journalistic, reporting of what happened, not always recommending what happened. For example, the existence of several wives for one man should not be interpreted as a godly choice; it is simply a description of the situation.
The Old Testament does not read chronologically as a novel would, and some situations are written about in more than one OT book. You gain insight into a particular narrative by finding other passages written about that event or those people. A good study Bible will include footnotes indicating related passages. Following a chronological guide for reading the Old Testament may be helpful.
Law:
- Genesis
- Exodus
- Leviticus
- Numbers
- Deuteronomy
History:
- Joshua
- Judges
- Ruth
- 1 Samuel
- 2 Samuel
- 1 Kings
- 2 Kings
- 1 Chronicles
- 2 Chronicles
- Ezra
- Nehemiah
- Esther
Books of Poetry and Wisdom
The English poetry with which we’re familiar differs from Hebrew poetry. We connect with the Psalms because the themes are human, but studying key traits of Hebrew poetry helps us understand and appreciate it more.
Proverbs are not promises. They are wise sayings depicting usual outcomes for often contrasting choices. The principles, if applied to our lives, will help us to live more wisely.
- Job
- Psalms
- Proverbs
- Ecclesiastes
- Song of Solomon
Major Prophets and Minor Prophets
We learn how the prophets encouraged God’s people to obey him and how they prophesied truthfully of the future. All prophets were/are important; we divide them into Major Prophets and Minor Prophets primarily because of the length of their writings.
Reading the prophets may seem intimidating, so you may benefit from a commentary to guide you. Check our Resources page or ask a pastor or other mature Christian to recommend guides and commentaries.
Major Prophets:
- Isaiah
- Jeremiah
- Lamentations
- Ezekiel
- Daniel
Minor Prophets:
- Hosea
- Joel
- Amos
- Obadiah
- Jonah
- Micah
- Nahum
- Habakkuk
- Zephaniah
- Haggai
- Zechariah
- Malachi
People of Israel
The Old Testament from the point of Abraham forward primarily deals with the Israelite nation. They are special because God chose them to be a great nation and the family through which the Savior would be born. The Israelites are descendants of Abraham, his son Isaac, and Isaac’s son Jacob. They are referred to by other names, as well: Jews, Hebrews, Hebrew children, Abraham’s children, and children of Israel. The Israelite nation is comprised of 12 tribes which split into 2 divisions for an extended period of time.
Unless we are Jews, we cannot claim God’s promises to the Jews; but we can recognize that the all-powerful God of the Old Testament is the same great God we serve today.