THE OLD TESTAMENT
LIBRARY
BOOKS OF LAW: Written about 1,400 B.C. by Moses.
|
Genesis |
50 |
“BEGINNINGS” (of the world, man, sin, and promises for Israelite nations) |
|
Exodus |
40 |
“GOING OUT” (from Egypt under Moses. The Law given at Mount Sinai) |
|
Leviticus |
27 |
LAWS FOR PRIESTS (tribe descended from Levi, one of Jacob’s twelve sons) |
|
Numbers |
36 |
“CENSUS” (Counting the people at beginning and end of the
wilderness wanderings) |
|
Deut |
34 |
“REVIEWING THE LAW” (Before crossing into the Promised Land.) |
BOOKS OF HISTORY: From Moses’ death until the return from Babylonian Captivity.
|
Joshua |
24 |
CONQUEST OF CANAAN (Palestine), under Joshua. (About 1,400 B.C.) |
|
Judges |
21 |
THEOCRACY (God ruled
through Judges) (about 1371 B.C.) |
|
Ruth |
4 |
LOVE STORY.
Moabitish girl (descendent of Lot) Married Boaz. Ancestor of Jesus. |
|
1 Samuel |
31 |
SAUL: First king over Israel. Anointed by Samuel. (1053 B.C.) |
|
2 Samuel |
24 |
DAVID: King (40 years) replaced Saul who
disobeyed. (1013 B.C.) |
|
1 Kings |
22 |
SOLOMON and DIVISION: Solomon King 40 years. Kingdom divided under his son, Rehoboam
(King of Judah), and Jeroboam (King of the 10 northern tribes of Israel). |
|
2 Kings |
25 |
DECLINE AND CAPTIVITY:
721 B.C., (by Assyria), and Judah, 606 B.C. (by Babylon). |
|
1 Chronicles |
29 |
SAUL AND DAVID: “Records” of national history to David’s
death. |
|
2 Chronicles |
36 |
SOLOMON THROUGH THE
CAPTIVITY (“Records” continued) |
|
Ezra |
10 |
TEMPLE REBUILT. After 70 yrs in Babylon. (538 B.C. &
Return, 536 B.C.) |
|
Nehemiah |
13 |
WALLS OF JERUSALEM
REBUILT. Worship and laws
reestablished (445 B.C.) |
|
Esther |
10 |
JEWISH QUEEN OF PERSIA
saves her people. (480 B.C.) |
BOOKS OF POETRY (or “Devotion.”)
|
Job |
42 |
PATIENCE IN AFFLICTION.
Patriarchal drama on problem of the righteous suffering. |
|
Psalms |
150 |
BOOK OF SONGS to be
accompanied by instrumental music (mostly by King David) |
|
Proverbs |
31 |
“WISE SAYINGS”
Collections of wise sayings in poetic style (mostly by King Solomon) |
|
Ecclesiastes |
12 |
“THE PREACHER” Solomon’s sermon on vanity of men’s values “under the sun.” |
|
Song of Sol. |
8 |
LOVE SONG BY SOLOMON (Also known as, “Canticles”) |
BOOKS OF MAJOR PROPHETS
|
Isaiah |
66 |
ISRAEL’S CAPTIVITY BY
ASSYRIA. Jerusalem saved (721
B.C.) Coming Messiah. |
|
Jeremiah |
52 |
JUDAH’S CAPTIVITY BY
BABYLON (or Chaldeans) (606 B.C.) |
|
Lamentations |
5 |
“WEEPING” FOR JERUSALEM”
Jeremiah laments consequences of their unfaithfulness. |
|
Ezekiel |
48 |
JERUSALEM TO BE DESTROYED (Written in Babylon around 572 B.C.) |
|
Daniel |
12 |
GOD REIGNS. Coming kingdom of Messiah (“Anointed
One”) during 4th world empire. |
BOOKS OF MINOR PROPHETS
|
Hosea |
14 |
UNFAITHFUL WIFE of
Hosea pictures Israel’s unfaithfulness to God. |
|
Joel |
3 |
LOCUST PLAGUE upon
Judah. Coming restoration through
God’s Spirit. |
|
Amos |
9 |
ISRAEL DOOMED for
luxurious indifference. (Music and
wine upon ivory beds) |
|
Obadiah |
1 |
EDOM DOOMED
(Descendents of Esau) for indifference to suffering of God’s people. |
|
Jonah |
4 |
NINEVEH SPARED Capital of Assyria warned and
repents of wickedness. |
|
Micah |
7 |
ISRAEL AND JUDAH WARNED. Messiah to come from Bethlehem. |
|
Nahum |
3 |
NINEVEH DOOMED. Capital of Assyria, to be destroyed for
cruelty to God’s people. |
|
Habakkuk |
3 |
EXPLANATION of God’s
use of the wicked Babylonians (Chaldeans) to punish Jews. |
|
Zephaniah |
3 |
“DAY OF GOD” Wrath
to come upon Judah and surrounding nations. |
|
Haggai |
2 |
ZERUBBABEL (Governor of Judah) exhorted to speed rebuilding the temple (520 B.C.) |
|
Zechariah |
14 |
VISIONS OF GLORY. To
encourage rebuilding the temple (520 B.C.) |
|
Malachi |
4 |
CORRUPTION and
indifference condemned. Defective
sacrifices, Elijah, restoration. |