Books of the Bible

My husband and I are starting to read the introductions to my NIV study bible. They cover the history of that time period and when the particular book was written, along with themes, and other interesting background information.

Did you know that the first 5 books of the Old Testament are grouped together and called “The Pentateuch“? These are the five books credited to Moses. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. They give insight into the beginning of God’s divine purposes and plans and the beginning of sin. It covers God’s relationship with mankind and God’s laws.

Other divisions of the Bible include:

The Historical books, Joshua through Esther, which record the events of Israel’s history.

The Poetry and Wisdom books, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs, which focus on man’s struggles and man’s personal relationship with God. These books flow beautifully and capture emotions.

The Prophetic books include Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi. These books occur during the later years of the divided kingdoms of Judah and Israel, throughout the time of exile, and into the years of Israel’s return from exile. Some of the writers include King David and Solomon.

According to about.com, “A true prophet was called and equipped by God, empowered by the Holy Spirit to perform his job—to speak God’s message, confront people with sin, warn of coming judgment and the consequences if God’s people refused to repent and obey. As “seers,” prophets also brought a message of hope and future blessing for those who walked in obedience”

The New Testament books first start with the Gospels, giving an account of Jesus Christ’s life and ministry. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

After the Gospels follows the Book of Acts, written by Luke, which describe the beginnings of the new church after Jesus. It connects the life and ministry of Jesus to the witness of the earliest believers.

Paul writes the Letters, or Epistles, to the new Christian churches, focusing on a specific message in each letter. The letters include Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon. Other letters not necessarily written by Paul include Hebrews, James, 1 & 2 Peter, Jude, and 1, 2, & 3 John.

The last book of the Bible is Revelation, written by John. This book covers tons of symbolism and imagery, prophesying the end of times.

It is amazing how far back the Bible covers and how much time spans between each book! There is so much wisdom, hope, and history within the Bible to read about. I hope you may continue to grow and learn from God’s word.

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