Finding Your Way Around the Bible, Part 2

Last week we looked at the basic organization of the Bible and the first five books of the Old Testament. This week we begin with the Old Testament books of History.

The Books of History (OT):

Joshua

Joshua covers the time period when Joshua led the people of Israel. The book's focus is on the conquest of the promised land. Some of the passages we think of most from this book are the fall of Jericho, the sun standing still, the division of the land among the tribes, and Joshua stating, “as for me and for my house, we will serve the Lord.” Its authorship is attributed to Joshua.

Judges

Judges recounts the time after the death of Joshua, but before there were kings in Israel. It deals with those who judged, or ruled, over Israel. It follows a repeating cycle of the people turning from God, God sending a nation to punish and rule over them, the people turning back to God, and God raising up a judge to save the people. Perhaps the most famous person from this book is Samson. It is unknown who the author of this book it.

Ruth

This book is named after the principle figure in the book: Ruth. This book is of great value in learning of the sort of people God wants His people to be. The characters of Ruth and Boaz serve as phenomenal examples for us, and are placed in the genealogy of David, and thus, Christ. The author of this book is unknown.

1 & 2 Samuel

These books were originally grouped as one, but separated to make it less cumbersome. It is the story, primarily, of three people: Samuel, Saul, and David. It begins with Samuel as a child, chronicles the time he served as judge over Israel, and the anointing of Saul, and later David, as king over Israel. Famous portions include Hannah praying in the temple, Saul's wrongful sacrifice, David and Goliath, and David and Bathsheba. Authorship is unknown.

1 & 2 Kings

Once again, these books were one book, but have been separated for the sake of convenience. It is so named because if covers the kings of Israel. The book begins with the decline and death of David and the raising of his son Solomon to the throne. It also covers the division into southern and northern kingdoms, and eventually the captivity of each nation. Authorship is unknown.

1 & 2 Chronicles

Once again, these were originally one book. They chronicle the kings who were descended from David (the kings of Judah). It begins with a genealogy, covers the reigns of David and Solomon, and continues relating the events of the kings of Judah until the fall of Jerusalem in 586BC. Generally speaking, it runs parallel with the books of Samuel and Kings. Authorship is once again unknown.

Ezra

This is the account of Ezra. It details the remnant of Israel returning from captivity to rebuild the temple and the problems they faced in doing so. It was written by Ezra.

Nehemiah

This is the account of Nehemiah, who returned from captivity shortly after Ezra. It details Nehemiah's efforts in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and of Israel rededicating themselves to God. Chronologically, this is the last historical account in the Old Testament. It was written by Nehemiah.

Esther

This is the account of Esther who rises to be queen of the Persia. In doing so, she is placed in a position to be able to save the Jews from destruction. One of the remarkable things about this book is that God is never mentioned, yet His hand is felt strongly in nearly every passage. The author is unknown.