the old testament is a collection of thirty-nine books on the history and religion of the people of israel. the authors of these books are unknown, and each book has a unique tone, style, and message. Individually, they include stories, laws, and sayings that are intended to function as models of religious and ethical conduct. Together, through hundreds of detailed characters and events, they represent a unified narrative about God and his attempt to relate to humanity by relating to a specific group of people.
the old testament contains four main sections: the pentateuch, the first prophets (or historical books), the writings and the last prophets. this study guide covers books from the first three sections.
You are reading: 4 books of the old testament
the pentateuch
the pentateuch comprises the first five books of the old testament. represents a series of beginnings: the beginning of the world, of humanity, and of God’s promise to the Israelites.
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Genesis, the first book, begins with God’s creation of the world. The perfect world falls into evil when humans disobey God, and the human population splits into separate nations and languages. after many generations, god speaks to a man named abraham. God makes a promise, or covenant, with Abraham to make his descendants into a great nation and give them a great land. abraham shows strong faith in god, and god seals his promise to him with a series of signs and tests. this special covenant with god passes to abraham’s son, isaac, and his grandson, jacob. together, they represent the patriarchs, or fathers, of the Israelite people. Jacob’s twelve sons move to Egypt after the younger brother, Joseph, miraculously becomes a high-ranking official in Egypt.
in the book of exodus, the descendants of the sons of jacob have become a great people, but the pharaoh of egypt has them in slavery. God chooses a man, Moses, to rescue the Israelites. god sends ten plagues on egypt and, with miraculous signs and wonders, moses leads the people out of egypt and crosses the red sea. they go to mount sinai, where god appears in a thunder cloud over the mountain and affirms to the israelites the promise he made to abraham. god commands them to worship only himself, and gives them various ethical and religious laws.
the books of leviticus, numbers and deuteronomy continue the explanation of the religious laws of god and his promises to the people. the people must keep these laws to enter and enjoy the promised land, towards which they are heading. Despite God’s presence, the Israelites complain and disobey incessantly, inciting God’s wrath. they wander in the desert for forty years in search of the promised land. These books continue the period of Moses’ legendary leadership and miracles, until his death at the end of Deuteronomy.
the ancient prophets
The ancient prophets, or historical books, cover the history of the Israelites from the death of Moses to the fall of the nation in 587 B.C. In the books of Joshua and the Judges, the Israelites successfully conquer the land that God promised them, but they disobey God by worshiping the deities of the surrounding peoples. neighboring nations invade and oppress the Israelites. God saves the people of Israel by appointing judges, or rulers, to lead the people in defense against their enemies.
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the two books of samuel (first samuel and second samuel) cover the rise of the united kingdom of israel. Israel’s religious leader, Samuel, appoints a king named Saul. saul disobeys god, however, and god chooses another man, david, to be king of israel. King Saul tries to kill young David, but fails. Saul’s death closes the first book. In the second book, David establishes the great kingdom of Israel. he conquers the enemies surrounding israel and establishes jerusalem as the religious and political center of israel.
the books of kings (called 1 kings and 2 kings) chart the decline of israel’s success. God blesses David’s son, Solomon, with immense wisdom. As king, Solomon expands Israel into an empire and builds a great temple in Jerusalem. Solomon disobeys God by worshiping other deities, and on Solomon’s death the kingdom splits into a northern kingdom, Israel, and a southern kingdom, Judah. A multitude of wicked kings keep the two kingdoms from worshiping God. Despite the attempts of the prophets Elijah and Elisha to stop Israel’s misdeeds, the two kingdoms fall to the Assyrian and Babylonian empires. Jerusalem is destroyed and the people sent into exile.
the writings
The writings are placed after the historical books in the Christian Bible. Some of these are narratives covering the time of Israel’s exile in other nations and his eventual return to the homeland. The Book of Esther, for example, tells the story of an unassuming Jewish girl who becomes the queen of Persia and bravely saves the Jewish people from genocide.
many of the writings are books of poetry and wisdom, among the most important literature of the old testament. The workbook is an extensive dialogue that investigates the justice of God and the problem of human suffering. The Psalms are lyrical poems and hymns, many attributed to King David, that express mankind’s longing for God. The books of proverbs and ecclesiastes, also attributed to the wise King Solomon, offer sayings and instructions on the meaning of life and ethical behavior. Finally, the Song of Solomon (also attributed to Solomon) is a lyrical and romantic dialogue between a young woman and her lover.
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