Overview of the Old Testament: Book by book

by Richard D. Call

• Old Testament

1. The Creation (1-2)
2. Adam and Eve in Garden (3)
3. Rise and spread of the works of Satan (4:1-24)
4. Lineage of the Priesthood (4:25-5:32)
5. Wickedness of man before Flood (6:1-13)
6. The Flood (6:14-8:22)
7. Noah and his descendants (9:1-10:32)
8. The Tower of Babel (11:1-9)
9. Abraham (11:10-25:8)
10. Isaac (25:9-27:46)
11. Jacob (28:1-38:30)
12. Joseph (39-50)

1. Moses' call and preparation (1-4)
2. Israel delivered from Egyptian bondage (5-18)
3. Jehovah begins preparation for a holy people (19-31)
4. Apostasy and repentance (32-33)
5. Lord's provision for forgivness (34-40)

1. How to remove sin and become holy (1-17)
2. How to maintain a state of holiness and acceptance before God (18-27)

1. Preparation for journey from Sinai (1:1-10:10)
2. From Sinai to Kadesh-barnea (10:11-14:45)
3. From Kadesh-barnea to Moab (15-21)
4. Balaam and the Moabites (22-25)
5. Making preparations to enter Canaan (26-36)

Contains three speeches by Moses

1. Recitation of events from departure from Sinai to the arrival east of the Jordan (1-4)
2. Moses' account of instructions received at Sinai (5-26)
3. Moses' final instructions to people, including the blessings and cursings (27-30)
4. Last acts and words of Moses - Be strong and of good courage. Joseph to gather Israel in last days. Moses translated. (31-34)

1. Entry into the promised land and conquest of land (1-12)
2. Settlement of the tribes of Israel (13-24)

1. Introduction (1-3)
2. History of the 12 Judges (3-16)
3. Teachings about the cycle of idolatry (17-21)

1. Time of famine. Naomi moves to Moab. Her sons marry, then later die. As Naomi returns to live in Israel, Ruth, her daughter-in-law chooses to go with her. (1)
2. Boaz negotiates for the right to marry Ruth. Their first son becomes the grandfather to David. The lineage of the Savior is established (2-4).

1. Samuel, the last Judge (1-7)
2. Saul, the first King (8-31)

1. David, second King of Israel. God blesses him (1-10)
2. David, his transgressions and fall (11)
3. David, the consequences of sin (12-24)

1. The reign of Solomon (1-11)
2. Kingdom divided - Rehoboam and Jeroboam (12-14)
3. Wicked kings in north and south kingdoms (15-16)
4. Ahab, Jezebel, and Elijah. (17-22)

1. Elijah's ministry continued. He is finally translated (1-2)
2. Elijah's mantle transferred to Elisha. Elisha's many miracles (3-9)
3. House of Ahab destroyed. Various kings of Israel and Judah (10-16)
4. Deportation of Israel (the Ten Tribes) by Assyria (17)
5. Kings of Judah (Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon) (18-21)
6. Good King Josiah - seeks to reform Judah. Purges the land of idolatry (22-23)
7. Evil kings of Judah (Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah). Jereusalem besieged by Nebuchadnezzar, many taken to Babylon and the temple destroyed (24-25)

1. Geneaologies - from Adam to David (1-9)
2. Reign of King David (10-29)

1. Reign of King Solomon (1-9)
2. Divided monarchy and destruction of the kingdoms (10-36)

1. Introductory chapters - events that happened 60-80 years before arrival of Ezra in Jerusalem: Decree of Cyrus; some Jews return with Zerubbabel; attempt to rebuild temple; preaching of Haggai and Zechariah (1-6)
2. Ezra brings back to Jerusalem some of the exiles from Babylon (7-10)

1. Nehemiah's first visit to Jerusalem. Walls begin to be rebuilt (1-7)
2. Religious and social reforms (8-10)
3. Wall of temple dedicated - Nehemiah's second visit (11-13)

1. The dramatic plot to exterminate the Jewish people during the Persian period, and of their deliverance through the providential marriage of a young Jewish orphan to the king of Persia (1-10)

1. First poetic book of the Bible, telling the story of Job as he and his friends struggle to explain the disasters which have befallen him and his family (1-42)

1. Collectively called in Hebrew "Tehillim" (Praises)
2. 73 of the 150 Psalms attributed to David
3. Many Messianic Psalms: 2:7; 22:1,16; 34:20; 69:9, 21; 110:4; 118:22

1. Most poetic chapters (1-9)
2. Exposition about right and wrong ways of living (10-24)
3. Proverbs of Solomon (25-29)
4. Description of a virtuous woman (30-31)

1. Main theme: a search for life's meaning

1. Foreshadowing of the mission of Christ (7, 9, 11, 53, 61)
2. Events of the latter-day restoration, Israel gathered (2, 11-12, 35)
3. Coming forth of the Book of Mormon (29)
4. Explanation of the one true God. Jehovah as contrasted with the idol worship of the day (40-46)
5. Events in the final restoration of Israel, cleansing of the earth, establishment of Zion (47-66)

• Prophecies during reign of Josiah (1-6)
• Prophecies during reign of Jehoiakim (7-20)
• Prophecies during reign of Zedekiah (21-38)
• Prophet's history and other events after the fall of the city of Jerusalem, including the Jews taking Jeremiah into Egypt (39-44)
• Prophecies against foreign nations (46-51)
• Fall of Jerusalem reviewed - list of items taken from the temple to Babylon (51)

1. Written by Jeremiah, these constitute dirges (laments) over the fall of Jerusalem and the Jewish nation (1-5)

1. Prophets of judgment against Jerusalem and the nation (1-24)
2. Prophecies of restoration (25-39)
3. Visions of the temple at Jerusalem - its reconstruction and worship therein (40-48)

1. Narrative about Daniel and his companions (1-6)
2. Prophecies of Daniel (7-12)

1. Using the image of marriage, the Lord taught through Hosea, that although His people had been unfaithful to Him that he would still not divorce them if they would turn to Him (1-14)

1. Description of devastation by locusts because of the wickedness of the people. Images of war then and in the last days which will devastate the land (Battle of Armageddon) (1-2)
2. God will be a refuge for nations and will forgive and nourish His people if they will repent (3)

1. Amos pronounces judgments on eight nations, including Judah and Israel (1-2)
2. Sermons introduced by "hear the word of the Lord," teaching the reasons for God's judgment on Israel (3-5)
3. Wo unto them who are at ease in Zion (6)
4. Amos shares five visions of God's judgments, concluding with a message of hope (7-9)

1. Obadiah announces God's judgments upon the Edomites, descendants of Esau, who, through history, have continued to attack Israel: a) 9th century BC - 2 Kings 8:20-22, b) 8th century BC - 2 Chronicles 28:16-18) After the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC, the Edomites migrated into southern Judah. Their territory becomes known as Idumea, the Greek form of Edom.

1. Jonah flees from the Lord, rather than preach in Nineveh. God's judgments follow Jonah and he yields to the Lord after being swallowed by a great fish. He goes to Nineveh, preaches, and the people repent (1-4)

1. Prophecies of judgments against the Jews (1-3)
2. Prophecies of restoration, with Messianic prophecies (4-5)
3. Lord tells of His past mercies upon the people - He requires justice and goodness (6-7)

1. God's judgments upon Nineveh (1)
2. Nahum describes the fall of Nineveh, the conquerors using their own river system against them and the sack of the city (2-3)

1. Habakkuk complains of God's failure to execute judgment for Judah's wickedness. God answers that He is raising up the Babylonians to invade Judah. Habakkuk asks how God can allow the wicked Babylonians to prosper (1-2)
2. God teaches Habakkuk that Babylon's prosperity is short-lived (3)

1. God will sweep away all wickedness when he comes again (1)
2. Zephaniah calls upon people to seek the Lord. He concludes with a message of hope for the humble (2-5)

1. Haggai encourages people to finish the temple. Judah is poor because she has not honored God. The new temple, though less splendid than the first, will become glorious (1-2)

1. The eight visions of Zechariah (1-6) Includes visions about Jerusalem and the temple of the great High Priest (Christ)
2. Zechariah announces the world-wide triumph of God through the Messiah (7-14)

1. Priesthood reproved for their neglect in God's service (1-2)
2. Teaches against marriage outside of the covenant, neglect of tithes and offerings. Faithful encouraged to remain steadfast, with God's promise that the wicked will not always prosper (2-4)