Books of the Bible (law&history)

Genesis

tells the story of the creation of the world and the beginning of the nation of Israel. It explains the origins of the people and customs that most concerned the Israelites. Many of the most famous stories in the Bible are in Genesis: Adam and Eve, Noah's flood, Abraham and Isaac, Joseph's coat of many colors. The books end with Joseph and his brothers - founders of the Twelve Tribes of Israel - living in Egypt, where their families grew and prospered. Greek for "beginning"

Exodus

tells the story of the Israelites' escape from Egypt (where they had become slaves) and their wandering in the desert on the way to Canaan, the Promised Land. It also includes the most important laws of the Old Testament: The Ten Commandments, which God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai. It tells how the people of Israel fail to live up to their unique relationship with God, so that a new, lesser law has to be given for them. Greek for "going out"

Leviticus

is a book of laws, most of which have to do with religious observances. Every detail of their worship life was made explicit because the Israelites had proved that they could not be trusted to worship God properly. Manual for Priest (Levites)

Numbers

is so named because it gives a census of all the tribes of Israel. It also tells the story of their forty years in the desert, and their constant rebellion against the authority of God and to his prophet Moses. "In the Wilderness"

Deuteronomy

It repeats some of the laws in the earlier books; for example, the Ten Commandments are repeated from Exodus. It also gives new laws specifically about how the Israelites will live in the Promised Land. In fact, the heart of Deuteronomy is a new constitution for the state of Israel. Finally, it gives a prophetic road map of Israel's history — a prophecy that will be fulfilled in the historical books that follow. Greek for "Second Law"

Joshua

tells how the Israelites - led by Joshua, the successor of Moses - began their conquest of Canaan.

Judges

continues the story of the conquest of Canaan after the death of Joshua. It tells how, time and again, the people of Israel were unfaithful to God, and how as punishment God let them fall into the hands of their enemies. But each time, when they repented, God sent a "judge" to be their leader and save them.

Ruth

Set in the time of the Judges, tells the story of a foreign woman who converted to the worship of the true God. At last she marries Boaz, a wealthy Israelite. Her great-grandson David would be King of Israel, which means that Ruth is also one of the human ancestors of Jesus Christ.

1 Samuel

tells the tragic story of the first king of Israel, Saul. Anointed king by the prophet Samuel, he started out well, but lost God's favor by his disobedience. He involved all Israel in a long civil war with his successor, David.

2 Samuel

continues the story of David after the death of Saul. God's everlasting covenant with David made Jerusalem the religious center of the world. David built the nation of Israel into a strong power, but he also suffered the consequences of his sins.

1 Kings

continues with the reign of David's son Solomon, who made Israel a mighty empire and was famous for his wisdom. Much of the book is taken up with the most important event of Solomon's reign: the building of the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. But Solomon and his successors fell into idolatry, and God sent great prophets to rebuke them. The most famous was Elijah.

2 Kings

tells how Israel's two kingdoms, Judah and Israel, grew more deeply divided as their kings and people fell away from God and turned to foreign idols. Finally, God permitted both kingdoms to be conquered and destroyed.

1 Chronicles

tells much of the same history contained in 1 and 2 Samuel, but from another point of view. It emphasizes the religious aspect of David’s reign, noting his preparations for the building of the Temple.

2 Chronicles

continues where 1 Chronicles left off, retelling some of the same events that were recorded in 1 and 2 Kings. Most of the emphasis is on the Kingdom of Judah.

Ezra

tells how some of the Jews were allowed to come back to Jerusalem after a long exile in Babylon and how they rebuilt the Temple and tried to restore the pure worship of the true God (Priest).

Nehemiah

continues the story begun in Ezra, telling how the retuned exiles restored the city of Jerusalem and promised to live by the law of Moses. Much of the book is taken from the personal memoirs of the governor Nehemiah.

Tobit

is the story of a pious man who, even in exile, scrupulously followed the Law. His son was also faithful to the Lord, and the story ends with the son rich and happily married.

Judith

tells how a heroic woman saved Israel by a clever strategy, The book is careful to point out that her success came because she trusted in God.

Esther

tells about a heroic Israelite woman who became Queen of Persia. She saved the Jewish exiles from the plots of evil enemies.

1 Maccabees

tells the story of the Maccabean revolt as a historian would tell it, starting with the background (Alemander the Great's conquest of the East) and telling the events in order.

2 Maccabees

tells part of the same story from a religious point of view. Everywhere, the author sees the hand of God in the successes of Judas Maccabeus and his brothers.