Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy are the first 5 books of the Bible, referred to by Jesus as “The Law”. They begin with an account of Creation, the Flood and the Tower of Babel, then follows the story of God’s people from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Father of the 12 tribes of Israel, down to Moses and the slavery of the Israelites in Egypt. The plagues of Egypt and the Israelites’ journey to the Promised Land led by Moses are recounted, along with God’s rules for life, the simplest of which are Ten Commandments. Jesus Himself, when tempted by the Devil, quoted verses from the book of Deuteronomy.

The books Joshua and Judges trace events from the entry of the Israelites into the Promised Land and the conquest of Canaan under Joshua, and their rule by leaders called “judges”, through to the establishment of Israel as a kingdom with Jerusalem as its capital. Ruth is a story set in the time of the judges, giving us a glimpse of David’s ancestry.

The book 1 Samuel deals with the establishment of Israel’s monarchy, King Saul and David’s exploits as an outlaw in Saul’s reign. 2 Samuel describes the start of the “golden age” of Jewish history, with David as King, and God’s promise to David that his kingdom would last for ever. Jesus, being one of David’s descendants, was the fulfilment of this.

The books of Kings and Chronicles cover the history of Israel after David’s death, the reign of his son Solomon and the building of the magnificent temple in Jerusalem. The story then continues with the splitting of God’s people into two separate Kingdoms after Solomon’s death - Israel, the northern Kingdom, and Judah, the southern Kingdom - and the sad tale of many kings and priests who were unfaithful to God and led the two nations astray. We read of the waning fortunes of Israel, who were deported by the Assyrians and disappeared, and of Judah’s later 70 year exile to Babylon because of their unfaithfulness to God.

The life of the Jews in exile is depicted in the books of Esther, Ezekiel  and Daniel (the latter two also containing much prophecy), whilst the return of the exiles to their own land and the rebuilding of the Temple and the walls of Jerusalem is dealt with in Ezra and Nehemiah.

Although these books are historical, there is much we can learn about God’s dealings with men and women, and about God’s character and nature. Jesus was familiar with the history contained in these books.

The Poetic books, (sometimes called “ The Wisdom books”)

The books of Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Songs were written mainly during the time of Kings David and Solomon. They include songs, proverbs, riddles, words of wisdom, popular sayings, parables and allegories, all written in a poetic style which uses much repetition and parallel phrases for dramatic effect.

The wisdom literature in general outlines many lessons for life and warnings to heed. Job, which is set in a much earlier age, also gives us an insight into the nature and meaning of suffering.

Jesus referred to this part of the Old Testament as “The Prophets”. Some of the prophets in the Old Testament are well known, like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel. These are termed “major prophets”; other books were written by “minor prophets”.

Although we think of prophecy as prediction, this is only part of the prophet’s role. The prophet was called to speak God’s message to the people (to one individual or group, or to whole nations), to remind them of God’s actions in the past, to speak against the injustices and evils of the present, and to declare what God was going to do in the future in response to people’s current behaviour and attitudes.

Much Old Testament prophecy is about punishment because of Israel’s sin and unfaithfulness to God; hence it is often thought of as all doom and gloom. But a strong thread of hope also come through as the prophets talk about a future rule of righteousness and justice, when the Messiah would come and when men and women would find a new relationship with God. Beyond that is the warning of an impending “Day of the Lord” when God will judge mankind, and a glorious future for those who are faithful to God.