How Should We Read Through the Bible?
by Jennifer Jolene Deal
As I write this blog post, I’m flying on a plane, at night, from Cleveland to Florida. I know where I started and I know where we will land, the beginning and ending, however, when I look out the window, I have no idea where I am. I can appreciate the glowing streaks of light on the ground as they outline the streets and trace the bodies of water, but I can’t tell you much more about those streets or bodies of water. I can see the lighted patterns of neighborhoods and each of their unique designs, however, without a map, I can’t explain to you how to get there. I don’t know what state I’m looking at let alone which city it is. I can see a lot, however, my understanding of what I am seeing is severely limited.
Reading the Bible used to give me that same sensation. I would read the verses, but not necessarily grasp the depth of their intended meaning or comprehend their place within the grand scope of Scripture.
My goal for you in 2025 is to help you get oriented as you read the Bible so that when you read verses, passages, and individual books in the future, you will keep your bearings. You won’t just know how the Bible begins and ends, you’ll know the entire map of the story.
There are several ways to read through the Bible. The traditional Christian approach would be to start in Genesis in the Old Testament and end with Revelation in the New Testament. This means that each book is read in order as presented. The Christian presentation of the Old Testament is divided into sections. The first five books, Genesis through Deuteronomy, make up the Pentateuch or The Law. Joshua through Esther are called the Historical books. Job through the Song of Solomon make up the Poetic Books or Wisdom Literature. Isaiah through Daniel are the major prophets and Hosea through Malachi are the minor prophets.
The Christian ordering of the Old Testament begins the Bible with somewhat of a chronological approach, presenting historical events within a linear timeline through 2 Kings. However, the rest of the books of the Old Testament are presented outside of any historical timeline. While this is necessary to avoid breaking up the books, it can be very confusing for the reader trying to understand the grand landscape of Israel’s history and how it relates to the story of Jesus found in the New Testament.
You may be wondering why I am emphasizing the “Christian” presentation of the Old Testament. This is because the Old Testament was originally in a different order. What we call the five books of the Pentateuch are actually, for the Jewish people, one book called “Torah.” Another interesting feature of the Jewish ordering of the Old Testament is that it has different categories compared to the Christian ordering. For example, many of the books that are labeled “Historical” are considered “Prophetic” writings in the Jewish Old Testament. And the final book of the Old Testament is the singular book of Chronicles. The book of Chronicles concludes the Jewish Old Testament and is set apart from Samuel and Kings.
So this leaves the reader wondering in which order the Old Testament should be read - the earlier one or the later one? And, if we're willing to consider the older ordering, should we go back even further? When were the events in Genesis first recorded?
By the time Moses gathered the creation stories and accounts of early mankind, the stories had been passed down from generation to generation. Why should we accept Moses’ presentation of these stories rather than disassembling the literary construction of the Pentateuch to find the oldest source texts possible? However, that approach would completely nullify the author’s intended purpose for writing the book. Understanding the author’s purpose, as it relates to the author’s audience, is a critical component when it comes to understanding each book in the Bible
The goal of Resolved to Read is to help the reader discover and determine if the Bible is one grand narrative, designed by one divine author through many human authors. With this in mind, and with an understanding of the importance of maintaining, as much as possible, the literary integrity of each individual book, a chronological approach is our preferred method, rather than sorting the books of the Bible into groups. No chronological method is perfect, therefore it is also important to study each book of the Bible individually, as it was meant to be presented to its intended audience. However, it can be argued that the Chronological method is the first step before taking a deep dive into a book of the Bible.
This means however, that at times, it will be necessary to break up historical narratives in order to insert other writings that occur along the timeline, such as when the Psalms and prophetic writings are placed in their historical context. The Epistles will be included within the book of Acts at about the time they would have been written on the timeline of events.
While some may argue that since Job lived during the timeline of the events of the Pentateuch, then the book of Job should be included within the Pentateuch. We have determined that including the book of Job within the Pentateuch would be too disruptive to the original literary intent of the Pentateuch and would possibly obscure some of the most important themes in Genesis and Exodus and during the life of Moses. Therefore, we have chosen a Chronological reading plan that includes Job at a later date, when the literary work was written on the historical timeline. This way, the reader can better appreciate the poetic beauty and theological depths of the Pentateuch as it relates to a chosen people waiting to enter the promised land.
As you read through the first five books of the Bible, keep in mind that it was written and compiled mostly by Moses and that the wandering people of Israel are his audience. They have spent 400 years in captivity as slaves in Egypt and now they are wandering in the desert, having left the land of slavery, to find the promised land. They are a people still prone to worshipping idols and they do not have a clear understanding of who God is or how to live their lives in a way that pleases Him.
Note how Moses reminds the people over and over that God will give them a good land if they follow His laws. Also, take special notice of the themes of faith, covenant, and blessing. Abraham had faith and his faith resulted in a blessing. At the very end, Moses doesn’t have faith, and that results in serious consequences.
Many Christians mistakenly think that the Pentateuch is all about the Law and following the rules. However, I believe that as you read through the Pentateuch this year, you will see something different. You’ll discover that God is always searching for us, that God is holy and our sin is costly, that God’s mercy and forgiveness is greater than any human’s could ever be, and that our faith and trust in Him is what truly pleases Him.
So with that in mind, happy reading!
Here’s a great resource for diving deeper into the Pentateuch and best practices for interpreting Biblical narrative:
Sailhamer, John H. The Pentateuch as Narrative: A Biblical-Thelogical Commentary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992.