How to Study the Bible Book by Book A Guided Tour of Scripture jason grissom EUREKA BAPTIST CHURCH
DAILY ASSIGNMENTS WEEK 1 Monday o Read pages (2 11) in How to Read the Bible Book by Book o Go to www.eurekabaptistchurch.com and click on the The Big Story Watch Video call The History of Redemption Tuesday o Go to www.eurekabaptistchurch.com and click on the The Big Story Listen to The Big Story Part 1 Use outline on page 3 Wednesday o Go to www.eurekabaptistchurch.com and click on the The Big Story Listen to The Big Story Part 2 Use outline on page 3 Thursday o Go to www.eurekabaptistchurch.com and click on the The Big Story Watch The Bible s Big Story by Nancy Guthrie Friday o Go to www.eurekabaptistchurch.com and click on the The Big Story Complete pages 4 8 in this handout Overachievers Challenge: Go to www.eurekabaptistchurch.com and click on the The Big Story Watch Video Why I Choose to Believe the Bible Voddie Baucham Saturday o Go to www.eurekabaptistchurch.com and click on the The Big Story If you have not completed pages 4 8 do so today. 1 P a g e
THE BIG STORY NOTES The Lord God, His Christ, is graciously a kingdom of people for their and his own. 1. C a. GENESIS 1 & 2 2. C a. GENESIS 3-6 3. C a. GENESIS 7 4. C a. GENESIS 11 5. C a. GENESIS 12-50, JOSHUA-ESTHER 6. C & C a. EXODUS - DEUTORONOMY 7. C & C a. JOB SONG OF SOLOMON 8. C a. ISAIAH - MALACHI 9. C a. MATTHEW - LUKE 10. C a. MATTHEW 26 28 b. MARK 14 16 c. LUKE 22-24 d. JOHN 18-20 11. C a. ACTS - JUDE 12. C 2 P a g e a. REVELATION
I. THE BIBLE IN FOUR WORDS THE BIBLE S BIG STORY NANCY GUTHRIE I. II. III. IV. II. WE COULD TELL THE STORY OF THE BIBLE AS THE STORY OF THREE TREES. I. F tree II. III. C tree H tree III. IV. WE COULD TEEL THE STORY OF THE BIBLE AS THE STORY OF THE LAMB. I. A II. A III. E IV. L V. M VI. J VII. E STORY OF THE KING AND HIS KINGDOM 3 P a g e
THE BIBLE AS GOD S STORY Everyone likes a good story. A story that has deep characters, a plot that makes you long for more and themes that draw you in. The Bible is such a story. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible tells God s story. The story of His people and His plan. The Bible consists of 66 books, yet we often spend most of our time reading and studying only a small portion of it (the New Testament, the Life of Christ, Psalms) or we read select verses that speak to a certain issue. When we do this we lose sight of the overall picture of the Bible and how it all ties together. The goal of this study is to read the Bible as God s story and to discover who God is and His mission. We will do this by digging into Scripture as well as reading the book. How to Read the Bible Book by Book which will help us begin to understand the overall story of the Bible and how each book fits into it. Throughout this journey, there will be questions that will challenge you to think and reflect on what you are reading and learning. This may seem like an overwhelming task, but it is worth it. As with all things, the more you put into it, the more you get out of it. Don t simply read the Word and the book just to do it. Read it to learn about God and His story. Read it to grow in your relationship with God. Read it because you love Jesus and hunger and thirst for more of Him. READY TO DIG DEEPER? Psalm 119:105 says Your Word is a lamp onto my feet and a light onto my path. The Bible can be divided into roughly 5 sections: 1. the narratives 2. the wisdom literature 3. the prophets 4. the life of Christ and Acts 5. the letters of the early church For each section, you will... read selected chapters from each book of the Bible read about each book in How to read the Bible Book by Book reflect on what you are reading/learning 4 P a g e
BEFORE YOU START HINTS AS YOU READ Since we are reading the Bible as God s story, each Bible reading section has been organized to highlight the elements of God s story from each book of the Bible. Rather than read every chapter, we have narrowed it down so that you are reading some from each book of the Bible. When reading, try to read each chunk (divided by line) in one sitting, rather than reading chapter by chapter, so that you get a feel for the story. And if you want, continue reading beyond what is listed here! Beginning Questions 1. When you read the Bible, where do you tend to read? Why? 2. If you had to summarize the Bible, God s story, His mission in only a few sentences, what would you say? 5 P a g e
READ THE INTRODUCTION TO HOW TO READ THE BIBLE BOOK BY BOOK In your own words, summarize the 4 chapters of God s story: Creation: Fall: 6 P a g e
Redemption: Consummation: 7 P a g e
The Bible is God s story, but it is also our story. How have you seen these three chapters (creation, fall, redemption) play out in your own life? What did you learn about God from reading this section? 8 P a g e
3:16 STUDY THIS SECTION WILL BE STUDY ON SUNDAY MORNING INTRODUCTION TO THE OLD TESTAMENT WHY STUDY THE OLD TESTAMENT? 1. IT TEACHES US ABOUT GOD. 2. IT TELLS US ABOUT CHRIST. A. HISTORICAL AND THEMATIC CONTEXT B. ALLUSIONS AND QUOTATIONS C. FULFILLED IN CHRIST 9 P a g e
Historical Overview of the Old Testament Rough Storyline Narrative Books Genesis describes how the world and the first humans were made the perfection of that unspoiled creation, how sin entered the world, and how God initiated his plan of salvation through Abraham. But despite God s instructions to Abraham to live in the promised land, Genesis closes with this people in Egypt. Exodus finds Abraham s descendants as slaves in Egypt, and constitutes God s grand entry onto the stage of world history as he routes the most powerful nation on earth to bring his people back to their land as his own. Leviticus presents a digest of God s laws given to his people in the wilderness. Holiness is the theme of Leviticus. Numbers mostly tells the story of the people journeying toward the Promised Land, their rebellion, and God s persevering faithfulness. Deuteronomy presents the second giving of the law (deutero=second, nomos=law). Joshua describes the conquest of the Promised Land some 400 years after God s people left. Judges is the depressing account of life in the Promised Land: the people continually revert to lawlessness, and the times were well summed up by the phrase, In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit. (Judges 21:25) Ruth is a little story set during the days of the judges, preparing the way for King David. 1 and 2 Samuel are about the last judge, Samuel; a false-start king, Saul; and the first real king, David. 1 and 2 Kings follow David s royal descendants as they lead the people into idolatry, and eventually into annihilation for the Northern ten tribes and exile for the Southern two. 1 and 2 Chronicles tell that same story. But instead of explaining why the exile happened the message of Kings they point ahead to God s final salvation. The last three books of history are about the exile and the return from exile: Ezra describes the return of the Jews from their captivity and the rebuilding of the temple 10 P a g e
Nehemiah continues the story by describing the rebuilding of Jerusalem s walls, a partial fulfillment of God s promises of restoration to his people. Esther is the last book of history: a story of God s providential deliverance of the Jewish community during the exile. The Writings The middle books of the Old Testament are largely collections of wisdom literature, devotional poems, and ceremonial literature from the temple. Job is a story about a righteous man who is tried by God. Psalms are poetic prayers of praise, confession, and lament to God. Proverbs presents the wisdom of Solomon and others concerning practical life issues. Ecclesiastes, again probably by Solomon, recounts one man s search for the path to happiness and meaning in this world. Song of Songs is the collection of love songs between a bridegroom and his bride. The Prophets The final collection of books in the Old Testament is the Prophets. These seventeen books present God s commentary on Israel s history, particularly Israel s disobedience. Isaiah was a prophet in the Southern kingdom, called Judah. The first thirty-nine chapters are prophecies leading up to the captivity. The last chapter s point to a future restoration and redemption. Jeremiah prophesied in Jerusalem during the years the city was besieged. He continued to prophesy for seven years after the city fell in 586 B.C. Lamentations is Jeremiah s lament over the destruction of Jerusalem Ezekiel prophesied in Babylon during this time about the coming fall of Jerusalem and God s ultimate restoration of his people. Daniel, part prophecy and part history, chronicles how God showed himself to be the ruler of the world even as his people were in captivity in Babylon. Hosea prophesied to the northern kingdom (called Israel) at the same time as Isaiah. God used Hosea s adulterous wife as a living example of Israel s unfaithfulness. 11 P a g e
Joel preached about the coming judgment of God on the southern kingdom and God s blessing that would follow their repentance. That s really the outline for most of these prophets. Amos, another contemporary of Isaiah, predicted the judgment and restoration of the northern kingdom. Obadiah uttered his very short prophecy of judgment against one of Judah s neighbors, Edom. Jonah, when called to prophesy to the Assyrian city of Nineveh, fled and was swallowed by a great fish. In the belly of the fish, he prayed, repented, was delivered, and obeyed. Micah prophesied at the same time as Isaiah and Hosea. He spoke to both Israel and Judah. Nahum, who lived a century after Jonah, proclaimed the coming judgment of God on Nineveh and a future deliverance for Judah. Habakkuk asked God why bad things happen to good people, and good things to bad people. God s response is a call to faith and trust in his promise of restoration. Zephaniah promised that judgment would come on Judah as he called them to repent. The last three prophets prophesied after the exile, as Jerusalem was being rebuilt. Haggai prodded the people to get on with rebuilding the temple. Zechariah prophesied two months after Haggai and presented a series of wild dreams that attacked the religious lethargy of the people and foresaw the messianic age. Malachi also attacked religious apathy and promised a coming Messiah. He was the last Old Testament prophet. 12 P a g e
The Story of Sin and Holiness We cannot deal with sin ourselves How sin perverts God s good purposes for his people (Ezekiel 36) Atonement Old Testament reveals more and more about sacrifice o Abel s sacrifice o Noah s sacrifice pleases God o Abraham s sacrifice of a substitute o Passover sacrifice turns aside God s wrath o Levitical sacrifices show a penal substitute o Day of Atonement shows restoration of relationship What the concept of sacrifice teaches us about God and ourselves The ineffectual nature of Old Testament sacrifice (Psalm 51:4, Psalm 40:6, Hosea 6:6, Hebrews 10:1-3) The Old Testament bookended with the curse (Genesis 3, Malachi 4:6) The riddle of the Old Testament The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished... (Exodus 34:6-7) 13 P a g e
The story of the promise The promise to Adam and Eve o I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel (Genesis 3:15) The promise to Noah The promise to Abraham (Genesis 12:2-3) Salvation through Joseph Salvation from Egypt Law and rebellion The promise to David (2 Sam. 7:11-16) Unfaithfulness of the people and their leaders The promise of the new covenant (Jer. 31:31-34) Salvation from the exile yet the new covenant is not yet here Conclusion Does the Old Testament make any progress in God s plan to redeem his people? 14 P a g e