The book of Exodus is a continuation from the book of Genesis. This is a book that brought much hope to the enslaved Hebrews but in an even broader view it brings hope to all believers of Christ. Exodus introduces us to Moses, the writer of the Pentateuch and the one in whom God chooses to intercede for all the enslaved Hebrews. As the Hebrews are being held in bondage by the Egyptians we see how God uses Moses to take the Hebrews from slavery onto a journey to freedom, which is found in the promised land. During the travel to the promised land we will see the giving of the Law and the establishment of the priesthood.

Meaning: Pertaining to the Levites
Author: Moses
Date of Writing: 1445-1444 B.C.
Type of Book: Pentateuch

The main focus of this book is to show us how to maintain holiness. In the book of Exodus we see how to be receive fellowship with God, which is through the action of sacrifice, but in Leviticus we see how to maintain fellowship with God. This book is pertaining to the duties of the Levites, which is the tribe that was used for the priestly duties. When reading through this book pay close attention to the calling of holiness from the Lord. With the Lord's requirement for us to be a holy people, we will see the instructions for worshipping a holy God and living a holy life.

Meaning: Name derived from the numberings of Israel
Author: Moses
Date of Writing: 1450-1410 B.C.
Written to the people of Israel
Type of Book: Pentateuch

This is the book of the Bible that reveals to us the wandering of the Hebrews. The Hebrews wandered for forty years because of their unbelief. In this book you will see the unbelief time and time again. You will see the Hebrews come right to the edge of the Promised Land but yet still refuse to take God up on the covenant that He made with Abraham in the book of Genesis. We will learn the importance of obedience in our own lives as we see the Hebrews flat out refuse to obey the Lord. The consequences of disobedience is severe as we see the longest funeral procession ever (forty years) only to find that all but a few of the original Hebrews to come out of Egypt, fall dead in the wilderness never to set foot in the Promised Land.

Meaning: Second Law
Author: Moses
Date of Writing: 1450-1410 B.C.
Written to the people of Israel
Type of Book: Pentateuch

The meaning of Deuteronomy actually means second law. This name is derived from the two Greek words, "deuteros" meaning second and "nomos," law; to which we get a clear picture in this book. The law that Moses gave to the Hebrews in the book of Exodus is given again to the children of the generation that received the law the first time from Moses. Because of the disobedience of the Hebrews they had to wonder the desert for forty years until those who were disobedient died and their children, the next generation, were able to take God up on the promise that He made to Abraham, the Promised Land.

Author: Joshua
Type of Book: History

The book of Joshua is a book that reveals Gods faithfulness time and time again. Joshua replaces Moses and leads the Hebrews into battle to take what the Lord tried to give to them much earlier in time. This time we will see God's chosen people do what the Lord commands, go into the Promised Land and take it for their own. This is the promise that God had given to Abraham many years before and now we will see the promise come to pass. This is a great picture of God's faithfulness to us, and a reminder that what God promises He will fulfill.

Author: Possibly Samuel
Type of Book: History

This book is a continuation of the previous book of Joshua. The book of Judges picks up after the death of Joshua and is known to be a very dark book because of the Hebrews defeat and failure with sin. We will see the viscous cycle of sin, forsaking of the Lord, the Hebrews following after a heathen god, and the act of idolatry. Then we will see God chastening the Children of Israel to bring them back to Himself. This book is a reminder that there is a consequence to the sin that we choose to follow. As the Israelites chose sin, they suffered. However, the Lord used the suffering of the people to get them to focus on the very God that could help them. So that in their suffering they would call out to God and in turn God would send a Judge that would deliver His people.

Type of Book: History

The book of Ruth is a great look at tender care, love, and sacrifice through a love story or a marriage story between a Jew and a Gentile. Through the book of Ruth we see the lineage of the coming savior, Jesus Christ. In the New Testament book of Matthew we see that Ruth is an ancestor of Jesus. And because of her ancestry to Christ we can see the grace of God. Ruth was a Gentile woman but God allowed her to be part of Christ's lineage.

Type of Book: History
Special Note: In the Hebrew Bible I Samuel and II Samuel are one book

First Samuel records the establishment of the kingdom. This book focuses on three major characters which are Samuel the last Judge of Israel, Saul the first king of Israel, and David the soon to be king. God did not want the Children of Israel to be under the rule of a king but as the Hebrews saw all the other kingdoms have a king and they too wanted to have one. First Samuel covers the childhood of Samuel through the reign of Saul and to the beginning of the reign of David.

Type of Book: History
Special Note: In the Hebrew Bible I Samuel and II Samuel are one book

Second Samuel also records for us the establishment of the kingdom. In Second Samuel we will get an up close look at the forty years of reign in life of David. We will see the ups and downs in David's life but most importantly we will see that David is said to have a heart after Gods. This is because as sin was brought to David's eyes he had such a deep sense of sorrow and regret.

Type of Book: History
Special Note: In the Hebrew Bible I Kings and II Kings are one book

First Kings deals with the life and reign of Solomon, King David's son. During the reign of Solomon we see that the supplies that David gathered to build the temple for the Lord were finally used. And the reign of Solomon could be described as peaceful, restful, full of wisdom and knowledge, wealth and glory, fame and honor, and the land was safe. Though in the beginning of the book we find everything going well we will later see the sins of Solomon come to fruition. At the end of this book we will get a glimpse at the kingdom divided, and the ministry of Elijah and Elisha.

Type of Book: History
Special Note: In the Hebrew Bible I Kings and II Kings are one book

Second Kings continues to cover the ministry of Elijah and Elisha. Elisha being the successor. We will also view the fall of the kingdom. The ten northern tribes will come into Assyrian captivity, and the two southern tribes will be taken into captivity by the Babylonians.

Type of Book: History
Special Note: In the Hebrew Bible I Chronicles and II Chronicles are one book

First Chronicles is a book that for the most part mirrors the book of first and second Samuel and First and Second Kings. In the beginning of the book we will notice the genealogies of Israel. We can also see the overthrow of Saul and the reign of David throughout this book.

Type of Book: History
Special Note: In the Hebrew Bible I Chronicles and II Chronicles are one book

Second Chronicles reveals, for the most part, the mirroring effect of the books First and Second Samuel and First and Second Kings. In this particular book we get to see the reign of Solomon which includes the asking of wisdom and the building of the temple. We also get to see the tribes fall into captivity.

Type of Book: History
Special Note: In the Hebrew Bible Ezra and Nehemiah are one book

Ezra captures for us the exiles, of the southern kingdom, returning to the land that they once inhabited. The book of Ezra reveals to us the time period after the seventy year captivity which was prophesied by Jeremiah. Once the exiles returned, the people began to rebuild the temple. We will also get a look at a spiritual reformation of the people.

Type of Book: History
Special Note: In the Hebrew Bible Ezra and Nehemiah are one book

In this book Nehemiah returns to Jerusalem in order to repair the destroyed city wall. While Nehemiah is in the city of Jerusalem there will be a reviving of the people. We will see the proclamation of the word of God and the confession of sin among the people that now reside in the city.

Type of Book: History

The story of Esther takes place in the land of captivity, Persia. Esther reveals the great concern that the Lord has for His people. While the books of Ezra and Nehemiah show how God allowed His exiled people to rebuild the temple and the wall, the book of Esther shows the preservation of the people that stayed behind. These people are so important because how could the Savior of the world come through an extinct nation?

Type of Book: Poetry

The book of Job deals with an age-old question, why do good people suffer? Job is a book that illustrates to us a godly man, one who prayed for each of his children everyday. This is a man that was very wealthy, had a wife, and kids. However everything that he had was taken in an instant. Throughout the book the so-called friends of Job insisted that Job had sin in his life and that was the reason why God was punishing him. This was not the case. We never get the clear understanding as to why Job was suffering but we do get the explanation that we don't always understand why things happen the way they do and God isn't obligated explain.

For more, read our study of Job.

Type of Book: Poetry

The book of Psalms has been referred to as the national hymn book for the Hebrews. This book is a collection of Psalms from different writers. Some of the writers of the Psalms are David, Asaph, Korah (or the sons of), Solomon, Moses, and some that are anonymous. The different subjects in this book can be classified as Psalms of instruction, trust, praise, distress and sorrow, thanksgiving, Messianic (Psalms of prophesy of the coming of Christ), and judgment. The book of Psalms teaches how we ought to feel in different situations. How do we feel when we are being persecuted, slandered, or when we are forsaken? Direction and guidance can be found in this book. Perhaps this is why the book of Psalms is so popular because it connects us directly to the feelings of the writers.

Meaning: to reign or rule
Author: Solomon
Type of Book: Poetry

The book of Proverbs is a book of practical instruction for our daily life. The Hebrew word for proverbs is "mashal" which means to reign or to rule. So these Proverbs that God inspired Solomon to write are words that are to reign, rule, or govern our lives. What the book of Psalms is to our emotional life the book of Proverbs is to our practical everyday life.

Ecclesiastes

Meaning: Preacher
Author: Solomon
Type of Book: Poetry

Ecclesiastes is a book of the Bible that reveals to us that everything "under the sun" is so insufficient in bringing us happiness and joy. In other words everything that is offered by the world such as riches unthinkable, material possessions, and power will not bring to us the joy that only the Lord our God is able to give to us through His son Jesus Christ.

Author: Solomon
Type of Book: Poetry

Song of Solomon is a book of the Bible that can be viewed a couple different ways. This is a book that can be looked at as a love story between a man and a woman or it can be viewed as a book depicting for us the story between the Lord Jesus Christ and those in whom He came to save. As we read through this book let the love of this Shepard for the woman be a reminder of the love of Christ for us.

Author: Isaiah
Date of Writing: 700-681 B.C.
Type of Book: Major Prophet

Isaiah is a prophetic book that takes place after the kingdom divided. Isaiah was a prophet to the southern kingdom. In this book we will see the words of condemnation towards the people of Israel. However, along with the promise of danger there was also a promise of soon to come blessings. As we read through this book many parts seem to be very dark times but even in the midst of the dark times Isaiah was able to share with us the great news of the coming Christ.

Author: Jeremiah
Date of Writing: 627-586 B.C.
Type of Book: Major Prophet

The book of Jeremiah is a book that reflects the sins of the southern kingdom. We see this because of Jeremiah condemning Judah in the first part of the book. Then we see Jeremiah address the leaders of the nation. In this book the prophesy of destruction is foretold because of the provoking of the Lord by burning incense to false gods. And in the conclusion of this book we will read about the captivity of the southern kingdom to Babylon. However, as we see the prophesies of destruction unfold we also are reminded of the restoring power of God as the book also shows us how God will restore them once again.

Author: Jeremiah
Date of Writing: 586 B.C.
Type of Book: Major Prophet

Lamentations is a book written by Jeremiah which is also known as the "Weeping Prophet". This book contains the destruction and misery of Jerusalem, and in it we will see the "Weeping Prophet" weep or lament over the condition of Israel.

Author: Ezekiel
Date of Writing: 571 B.C.
Type of Book: Major Prophet

The book of Ezekiel was written during the Babylonian captivity. While Jeremiah was prophesying that the city of Jerusalem would soon fall into the hands of Babylon, Ezekiel was doing the same within Babylon. We will find that Ezekiel was prophesying the judgment and punishment towards the people of Jerusalem for their turning their backs towards God. However this book can also be viewed as a book of encouragement because Ezekiel gave warnings to the foreign nations as to how they were treating the children of God. Ezekiel's ministry was also a source of encouragement because of the messages of hope and restoration that would soon come to the people of Jerusalem.

Author: Daniel
Date of Writing: 535 B.C.
Type of Book: Major Prophet

The book of Daniel is a book of great encouragement to those of us that face trial and tribulation as well as those of us that face persecution. In this book we find that Daniel was taken captive by the Babylonians and while he was held captive his faith was put to the test. We will also get to see the courageousness of Daniel spill over to his three friends that were also willing to stand for what was right in the eyes of the Lord. Not only will get to see the life of Daniel but we will also see his ministry of interpreting visions for the kings. The prophetic portion of the book comes in the latter part when the visions that are discussed are Daniel's very own.

Author: Hosea
Date of Writing: 715 B.C.
Type of Book: Minor Prophet

Hosea is a very interesting book. Through this book the relationship between Hosea and his wife is an illustration showing us the relationship between the children of Israel (northern kingdom) and God. We will see Hosea married to an unfaithful wife, one that loses interest with Hosea and then runs after other lovers. This is a book that speaks to the worlds present time situations just as it did to the Old Testament times. As we see Hosea's wife running after her own wants and desires we also see her leaving behind her first love, her husband. And how accurate this is in today's time because we find people running off after their dreams, wants, and desires and never considering their first love, the Lord.

Author: Joel
Date of Writing: 835-796 B.C.
Type of Book: Minor Prophet

Joel is a book of the Bible that uses illustrations to explain what will happen if you are outside the will of God. In this book we will see that there is an infestation of insects to this land which in turn caused a disaster. This is an illustration to the people in whom Joel was writing as well as to us because his writing shows that if we are living in sin there will be great devastation.

Author: Amos
Date of Writing: 760-750 B.C.
Type of Book: Minor Prophet

Amos was a prophet to the northern kingdom. And in this book we will see the convictions of this herdsman. He was a man so convinced and committed to what the Lord had to say that he left his home town of Tekoa and went all the way to Jerusalem to share what God had said. However, once Amos arrived he realized that the conviction and commitment from the Israelites was not the same as his. They did not want to hear what Amos had to say, and because of the Israelites unwillingness to listen we will see the courage of Amos as he tells them anyway.

Author: Obadiah
Type of Book: Minor Prophet

Obadiah is a book directed totally towards Edom. Edomites were direct descendants of Esau and they were feuding with the Israelites, the descendants from Jacob. The Edomites were gloating over the downfall of the Israelites, and because of their gloating this book tells us about the doom and vengeance that God would pour out onto the Edomites.

Author: Jonah
Date of Writing: 785-760 B.C.
Type of Book: Minor Prophet

The book of Jonah is a great book to see the many different characteristics of God. Throughout this book we see an awesome picture of God's compassion, love, mercy, kindness, and forgiveness just to name a few character traits of the Lord. We will also see Jonah being told by the Lord to go to Nineveh, a very wicked city. Jonah was to tell Nineveh to repent from their wickedness. After Jonah stops running from the Lord he eventually makes it to Nineveh only to find that the people there do repent after hearing the warning from the Lord.

Author: Micah
Date of Writing: 742-687 B.C.
Type of Book: Minor Prophet

In the book of Micah we get to see the message of warning to both the northern and southern kingdoms. In this book we see the different sins of the kingdoms as a whole but also through the government leaders and religious leaders that cause for this message of warning from Micah. But as always, when there is judgment from God there is also mercy.

Author: Nahum
Date of Writing: 663-612 B.C.
Type of Book: Minor Prophet

The book of Nahum is a book that was written for the southern kingdom. This book of prophesy was about the deliverance of Judah and the destruction of Nineveh, their enemy. This is a message of hope not only for the southern kingdom but also for us, because through this message from Nahum we see the care that the Lord had/has for His people. But not only do we see that the Lord cares for His people but it also shows us that God is always in control. This book shares with us great encouragement in that no matter what our circumstances, the Lord can and will take care of us.

Author: Habakkuk
Date of Writing: 612-588 B.C.
Type of Book: Minor Prophet

Habakkuk is a man that we know nothing about other then what is written in this book. In this book we see Habakkuk questioning God as to why the sin that he saw all around him was not being punished. In the beginning of the book we see how Habakkuk seems to think that the Lord is not answering him. However, in the conclusion we notice that Habakkuk goes from being doubtful to having his faith increased and begins to praise the Lord.

Author: Zephaniah
Date of Writing: 640-621 B.C.
Type of Book: Minor Prophet

Zephaniah is a book of the bible that comes directly out in the beginning verses and declares that destruction is coming to the people in Judah. However, Zephaniah also declared judgment on the gentile nations. And in the end of this book we find the great words of encouragement that both Israel and Judah will be restored.

Author: Haggai
Date of Writing: 520 B.C.
Type of Book: Minor Prophet

Haggai is a book that is a source of encouragement. We will find as we read through this book that Haggai was encouraging the remnant of people returning from captivity to complete the building of the temple. Finally we notice that Haggai speaks wonderful words of encouragement to Zerubbabel.

Author: Zechariah
Date of Writing: 520-480 B.C.
Type of Book: Minor Prophet

The book of Zechariah was written during the rebuilding of the temple. And in this book we will see the eight visions of Zechariah showing that God had not forgotten His people, Israel. We will also see the ultimate triumph in the messianic prophesies about the coming and crucified Christ.

Author: Malachi
Date of Writing: 430 B.C.
Type of Book: Minor Prophet

Malachi is the final book in the Old Testament. This book was written because years after the temple was built and things got back to normal the people began to backslide. As Malachi was telling the people that they had forsaken the Lord they disputed him and would not receive what he was telling them. And because of this we will see the warning for disobedience toward the word of God.