Bible Question:
i have just finished reading the whole new testament it has been a joy now i want to start in the old testament where would you suggest i start? some of the old testament confuses me so maybe i should start with something easy janice |
Bible Answer: janice :: Thanks for your question; it always warms my heart to hear from people like you who hunger and thirst for God's word. Val mentioned the books of Ruth and Esther, excellent choices both. Genesis is foundational to all Scripture, so I'd recommend begining with it. Exodus is Genesis' sequel and would be a nice choice to read next. The book of Job, one of the supremely finest pieces of writing in all literature, is a good early choice also. You might want to read a Psalm or two every day along with your other Old Testament readings. The books of Samuel and of Kings are fairly easy to get into and will give you much information. Round out your reading with the major and minor prophets and the other books you missed in your initial survey. Every serious Bible scholar I've be exposed to stresses the importance of prayer in connection with Bible study. The prayer of us all ought to be, "Open thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law" (Psalm 119:18) ...... Many people who start out -- usually on January 1 -- with the honest intention of reading the entire Old Testament do so by attempting to read straight through in order, beginning with Genesis. But, alas, so many of them get bogged down along about midway of Leviticus and there goes their New Year's resolution! Another peril that I've found unproductive is to determine to read a given number of chapters every day. I much prefer to measure my Bible reading in blocks of time, not chapters, and here's why: Some chapters demand of the reader much more than do others. If, for example, one decides he can devote an hour on any given day to reading and studying the Bible, he may find it necessary to devote the full hour to one chapter -- or even a lesser portion -- of Scripture. The object is not to skim through as many chapters as possible but to absorb as much of God's truth as possible within the time frame available. ...... So bon voyage, Janice, as you begin your sacred journey through the blessed word of God. Your rich rewards, I'm convinced, will be nothing short of amazing. --Hank |