Welcome to this week’s blog. For the next few weeks, I will continue to focus on my favorite book, the Bible.
I will lay out the Old Testament (the Bible, Part 1) and the New Testament (the Bible, Part 2), identify the purpose of each book, the author of each book, the date written, key verses and key people involved to help give you a better understanding of the Bible before you dive into it on your own.
Let’s pick up where we left off last week in the Old Testament. When you open your Bible, you will find 39 books in the Old Testament, starting with Genesis (50 chapters) and ending with Malachi (4 chapters). The New Testament has 27 books, starting with Matthew (28 chapters) and ending with Revelation (22 chapters).
The authors and compilers of the next five books of the Old Testament are Solomon, Isaiah and Jeremiah.
21st Book – Ecclesiastes: Chapters (1-12)
Purpose: To spare future generations the bitterness of learning through their own experience that life is meaningless apart from God.
Author: Solomon
Date Written: ~ 935 B.C. (Before Christ), which was later in Solomon’s life.
Key Verse: Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. - Ecclesiastes 12:13 (NIV).
Key People: Solomon’s subjects and all people in general.
22nd Book – Song of Songs: Chapters (1-8)
Purpose: To tell of the love song between a bridegroom (King Solomon) and his bride, to affirm the sanctity of marriage, and to picture God’s love for His people.
Author: Solomon, early in his reign.
Date Written: ~970-931 B.C. (Before Christ)
Key Verse: I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine; he browses among the lilies. - Song of Song 6:3 (NIV).
Key People: King Solomon, the Shulammite woman and friends
23rd Book – Isaiah: Chapters (1-66)
Purpose: To call the nation of Judah back to God and to tell of God’s salvation through the Messiah.
Author: Isaiah, son of Amoz
Date Written: ~ Chapters 1-39 occurred during Isaiah’s ministry, approximately 700 B.C. (Before Christ). Chapters 40-66 were written near the end of his life, around 681 B.C. (Before Christ).
Key Verse: But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed. - Isaiah 53:5 (NIV).
Key People: Isaiah; his two sons, Shear-Jashub and Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz
24th Book - Jeremiah: Chapters (1-52)
Purpose: To urge God’s people to turn from their sins and back to God.
Author: Jeremiah
Date Written: ~ 627-586 B.C. (Before Christ) during Jeremiah’s ministry.
Key Verse: Your wickedness will punish you; your backsliding will rebuke you. Consider then and realize how evil and bitter it is for you when you forsake the Lord your God and have no awe of me, declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty. - Jeremiah 2:19 (NIV).
Key People: Judah’s kings – Baruch, Ebed-Melek, King Nebuchadnezzar, the Rekabites
25th Book - Lamentations: Chapters (1-5)
Purpose: To teach people that to disobey God is to invite disaster, and to show that God suffers when his people suffer.
Author: Jeremiah
Date Written: ~ 586 B.C. (Before Christ), soon after the fall of Jerusalem
Key Verse: My eyes fail from weeping, I am in torment within; my heart is poured out on the ground because my people are destroyed, because children and infants faint in the streets of the city. - Lamentations 2:11 (NIV).
Key People: Jeremiah, and the people of Jerusalem
Let’s recap. This week we covered the next five books (21-25) of the Old Testament
(Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Lamentations). Next week I will pick up with Ezekiel (26) in the Old Testament with the same format. I am hoping you find this format an easy, quick overview of each chapter as we make our way through the Old Testament (the Bible, Part 1). Once we have covered the Old Testament, we will then move into the New Testament (the Bible, Part 2) in the next several weeks.
Blessings until next week,
Debra Pauli Unstoppable Believer
Scripture Quotes: Holy Bible: New International Version (NIV) / New King James (NKJ) / English Standard Version (ESV)
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