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This is a reading program which has been designed to meet the difficulties mentioned above. According to this plan the Bible has been divided into 5 Sections.
- Section 1: Beginnings: Genesis to Ruth (236 Chapters)
This section talks about the beginning of God's creation, the origin of sin,
suffering and death on earth. It also talks about the flood of Noah's time, the
calling of Abram, the lives of Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. It talks about how
the people of Israel went down to Egypt and came back through a mighty
deliverance under the leadership of Moses, the institution of the Passover, the
giving of the ten commandments and various other laws, the setting up of
God's tabernacle, and the conquest of the Promised Land under the leadership of
Joshua. Finally, it talks about the period when judges ruled the land
and about the marriage of Boaz to Ruth, who together then became the ancestors
of David.
- Section 2: Nation Building: 1 Samuel to Job (242 Chapters)
This section talks about how the nation of Israel consolidated itself, first under Samuel, who was the last judge of Israel and then under Saul, the first king of Israel. It gives us a detailed account of David's life and reign; followed by the reign of his son, Solomon, and his building of the temple of God in Jerusalem. It also talks about how the kingdom was divided into two and how they kept sinning against God and how God finally allowed Assyrian and Babylonian armies to destroy their nation. This section also contains the stories of the rebuilding of the Jerusalem wall and the temple under the leadership of Nehemiah and Ezra, when the people return from exile and also carries the story of Esther, who spoke up for God's people in crisis. Finally this section ends with the story of Job's life; his loss, suffering and restoration.
- Section 3: Poetry: Psalms to Song of Songs (201 Chapters)
This section mainly consists of poetry. It begins with Psalms which are
actually sung in the Hebrew language. They reflect human experiences, emotions,
man's longings for God and contain praise, thanksgiving and worship. It has inspired
people down through the centuries. Most of the psalms were written by David,
``Israel's singer of songs." This section also contains the Book of Proverbs
which is fully of wisdom for practical living. Then comes the Book of
Ecclesiastes, which is a philosophical reflection on life with the conclusion
that fearing God and keeping His commandments is what matters at the end. The
final Book in this section is Song of Songs which praises the beauty of love in
marriage.
- Section 4: Prophets: Isaiah to Malachi (250 Chapters)
This section contains the writings of the prophets. These books contain some
great visions of God, great prayers, great promises, great warnings, great
judgments and great prophecies of the salvation to come. There are many great
references to the restoration of the people of God from exile and judgment, the
plan of the new temple, and the coming rule of the Messiah at the end of Time.
The Book of Isaiah has been a favorite of Christians down through the centuries
with its famous prophecies about Jesus' birth and death. The Books of Ezekiel,
Daniel and Zechariah are vital in understanding the message of Revelation and
God's plan for the end times. Malachi is the last book of the Old Testament.
His was, in a sense, the last voice of prophecy in the Old Testament. For the
next 400 years there were no prophets until the coming of John the Baptist who
announced the arrival of Jesus Christ, ``the Lamb of God, who takes away the
sin of the world!''
- Section 5: New Testament: Matthew to Revelation (260 Chapters)
This section contains the story of the birth, life, work, death, resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are the four writers of the gospels containing the story of Jesus' life. The Book of Acts is the story of the beginning of the Church; starting with the mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit on believers on the day of Pentecost. Then we have a lot of letters or epistles written by Paul, Peter, James, John and Jude. Finally we have the Book of Revelation written by John while he was at the island of Patmos in exile. It gives us the strong conviction that God is on His throne, and every event of history is moving towards a God-destined end. It tells us that there is coming great and fearful events in this world. It tells us that God has a special plan for the nation of Israel and that He will intervene in world affairs and bring an end to war, sin, suffering and death. It also speaks of the final doom of Satan and all his agents who led the world astray. The book of Revelation closes with the promise that Jesus is coming soon!
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