Help with the OT

[Gwen-is-new!]

I am reading the OT completely through for my first time ever. I read 3 Chapter a day and usually don't know what I'm reading. Should I keep pushing a long, and expect to not understand it all? I do have a study bible, which shed some lights on specific verses. Does anyone have any suggestions? Is this something I continue to do despite the agony? Will it get easier after Judges? Will it make more sense the 3 or 4th time through? Please share. Thanks!

 

[dysert]

Hi Gwen!

Since this is your first time, my guess is you're having a problem because the books aren't in chronological order. What I would strongly suggest is that you get yourself a chronological Bible and read from that. I highly recommend one called "The Narrated Bible" (hardback) or "The Daily Bible" (softback). This is a Bible (NIV) that puts things into chronological order, deletes the duplicate passages, and provides good commentary sections among the daily readings. Reading from this Bible makes it seem like you're reading a story, which is quite nice. Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[Gwen-is-new!]

Hi Gwen!

Since this is your first time, my guess is you're having a problem because the books aren't in chronological order. What I would strongly suggest is that you get yourself a chronological Bible and read from that. I highly recommend one called "The Narrated Bible" (hardback) or "The Daily Bible" (softback). This is a Bible (NIV) that puts things into chronological order, deletes the duplicate passages, and provides good commentary sections among the daily readings. Reading from this Bible makes it seem like you're reading a story, which is quite nice. Let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks very much! Your right, it helps if flows. So even the "history" books aren't in order? I ask because I went from Joshua to judges and it seemed like Joshua brought them into the Promised Land, then died, then all the nations/tribes (?) started fighting for territory, and engaging in pagan worship on/off, so God had to raise Judges - it seemed to be chronological? I think the hardest part is the all the names of the people and who lives where, and is from where ,etc.. How did I get through it all?

How'd you know I was an NIV reader I'll take that as a sign

 

[dysert]

Thanks very much! Your right, it helps if flows. So even the "history" books aren't in order? I ask because I went from Joshua to judges and it seemed like Joshua brought them into the Promised Land, then died, then all the nations/tribes (?) started fighting for territory, and engaging in pagan worship on/off, so God had to raise Judges - it seemed to be chronological? I think the hardest part is the all the names of the people and who lives where, and is from where ,etc.. How did I get through it all?

How'd you know I was an NIV reader I'll take that as a sign

There's lots of NIV readers out there - lucky guess . Some of the books do flow chronologically, but many do not, which can lead to confusion. And many passages are duplicated, which only adds to the confusion ("Didn't I read about this several weeks ago?"). Another cool thing about the book I mentioned is that when you get to a place (say you're reading about David running from Saul), all of a sudden they'll interject the psalm that David wrote at that particular point in time before returning back to the story. Helps put the psalms in context as well. If you get a chronological Bible, let me know how it goes for you. I think it's really cool.

 

[SeekerOfChrist94]

I am reading the OT completely through for my first time ever. I read 3 Chapter a day and usually don't know what I'm reading. Should I keep pushing a long, and expect to not understand it all? I do have a study bible, which shed some lights on specific verses. Does anyone have any suggestions? Is this something I continue to do despite the agony? Will it get easier after Judges? Will it make more sense the 3 or 4th time through? Please share. Thanks!

Here's an Old Testament Bible study plan that's in Chronological order, so it'll be easier to understand. http://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-reading-plan/chronological.html

 

[dayhiker]

The thing that helped me the most with reading the OT when I was much younger was an OT survey book. These books generally do two things.
They give the context of when and why the book was written. So Duet. was written by Moses and is in the format that power nations wrote covenants
with the countries they conquered. Those powerful dictators told they country I will do this for you, protect you, etc, and you will pay me this tax and you will
live such and such a way. If you don't all these judgements will come down on you and your family. Do Duet is God saying you are my people and I will bless you
of you obey me and if you don't obey me I will brings these judgements down on you and your family.

Here is an example of one of these books. You can probably find 20 more like it at CBD.
http://www.amazon.com/Old-Testament-Survey-Paul-House/dp/0805440364

 

[miamited]

Hi Gwen,

I applaud you for your effort. There are a couple of reasons that a born again believer should desire to read the Scriptures. First, and I believe most important, it's the only sure revelation for an individual to know the God they love. Secondly, if one isn't fairly familiar with what the Scriptures actually say, then they don't know whether others are telling them the truth. We can see that problem right here on these boards sometimes.

However, there is one very important practice and desire that I believe everyone who desires to read the Scriptures for gaining understanding needs to do. Never just sit down saying, "Well, it's time to do my 3 chapters", and start reading. A lot of people read the Scriptures. There are even atheists who have read the Scriptures, but obviously they didn't gain understanding from their effort.

The truth of the Scriptures is spiritually discerned. Jesus several times spoke with the scribes and pharisees and opened with, "Have you not read...". Now, anyone who knows the historical truth of what it meant to be a scribe or pharisee would know that these men had read the Scriptures. Many of them could recite large passages from heart. But, as Jesus would continue in his discussion with these men, it became obvious that what Jesus was really showing them was that they hadn't understood what they had repeatedly read.

So, my encouragement is that when you sit down for your 3 chapter read, that you begin with a few moments of fervent prayer asking for your loving Father to provide you the wisdom and understanding of the Holy Spirit to understand the things that you are going to be reading. James tells us that if anyone is lacking in wisdom that they should ask God for wisdom.

Regarding reading the old covenant, yes, the names are tough, but I'm not sure it's important to get caught up in the names. What we seek is the wisdom of the Scriptures and we can gain that without knowing the names of the many people that God used. Some parts of the old covenant are drier than others and don't seem to be as interesting to us and that's ok, I believe. Likely if your love for God is true, you'll find yourself reading the Scriptures a lot more than once. Many people say that they learn new things every time they open the Scriptures.

It's a lot of reading and a lot to absorb. You won't likely get it all in one reading. But as your love for God and your understanding of the things of God grows, you will become more and more sure of your faith and what you believe through studying the Scriptures. That should be your second step when you finish your overall reading. You will likely find things that you want to go over and really study.

May your loving Father pour out His blessing of wisdom and knowledge through His Holy Spirit as you learn about Him and all that He has done that you might have eternal life.

God bless you.
In Christ, Ted

 

[Gwen-is-new!]

The thing that helped me the most with reading the OT when I was much younger was an OT survey book. These books generally do two things.
They give the context of when and why the book was written. So Duet. was written by Moses and is in the format that power nations wrote covenants
with the countries they conquered. Those powerful dictators told they country I will do this for you, protect you, etc, and you will pay me this tax and you will
live such and such a way. If you don't all these judgements will come down on you and your family. Do Duet is God saying you are my people and I will bless you
of you obey me and if you don't obey me I will brings these judgements down on you and your family.

Here is an example of one of these books. You can probably find 20 more like it at CBD.
http://www.amazon.com/Old-Testament-Survey-Paul-House/dp/0805440364

I forgot about the surveys! I have used them in the past, so thanks so much for reminding me.

 

[miamited]

Hi gwen,

Thanks for the like! If I may be so bold, let me take a moment to give you a rough draft of what I have found to be the truth in the Scriptures.

About 6,000 years ago God created this realm. Yes, from the furthest planet to the most minute particle of this realm, God created it all in mere days. Yes, real, just as we know them now, days. For those who would tell you that you can't have days without the sun, moon and stars, don't believe it! A day is now and has always been the time that it takes for a planetary body to make one full rotation upon its axis. The time of a day will still pass upon the earth without there being a single other body in all of the heavens, if the earth is rotating. If you look for any knowledge in all of the earth about what determines the length of a day on any planetary body in our solar system, you'll find that sun, moon and other stars are never once mentioned. What you will find is the measurement of time that it takes for that particular planet to make one full rotation upon its axis. That determines a day on every planet in the universe.

Evening and morning are likewise not defined by the sun and moon, but are merely two equal divisions of the time of a day just as we now call a.m. and p.m. As I understand the Scriptures, God caused the Holy Spirit to have men write the very words that each day consisted of an evening and a morning so that we would understand that they were regular days just like we experience today as far as the length of time for each day.

This seems to be one of the major stumbling blocks among christians. What were the length of the days found in the book of the beginning. By the way, that's what the first writings was called among the Jews. and Genesis is a translation of 'the beginning'.

I think it is most important that we also understand that when the Scriptures tell us that God knows the end from the beginning, it means that God knew everything that was going to happen in this realm of His creation before He ever spoke the first 'let there be...'.

He knew that mankind would fall into sin. Adam and Eve didn't surprise God when He came to visit them and found that they had eaten of the forbidden tree. We know this because the Scriptures tell us that Jesus was our sacrifice for sin even before the foundations of the earth were established. God knew that man would sin!

However, and here's something that you may want to make a more thorough study of for yourself, the Scriptures lay out for us a plan. Yes, when God spoke the first 'let there be...', He was setting in motion a plan. His plan was to create another creature, just as He had already done with the angels, to love and care for and provide for who would also love Him in return. A creature from which some would ultimately trust Him and love Him. A creature for which some would choose to live as He established and would then gain eternal life with Him.

The Scriptures open with God creating and the Scriptures close with God making all things new again and ushering a group of mankind into eternal life. Everything in between those two events is the working out of God's great plan.

God called a man by the name of Abram and established with him certain covenants. However, the ultimate purpose of God's call to Abram was that through him God was going to reveal Himself to mankind by certain writings that He would give them through His Holy Spirit. Paul agrees with this. He asks a question in his letter to the Romans, beginning in chapter 3 as to what value there is in someone being a Jew or a member of the circumcised people. He then immediately answers that question by giving only one reason. That they were entrusted with the oracles of God. So, it would clearly seem that God's call to Abram was for the very purpose of building a nation of people who would be special to Him through whom He would ultimately reveal Himself to all mankind.

It was also through His people Israel that He accomplished the necessary sacrifice for sin. Pretty much everything that we know about God came to us through His people, Israel. And that was God's plan and that is why God still loves Israel. Despite their wickedness and rebellion, they completed a very, very important part of God's plan. God loves Israel! The Scriptures tell us that God actually had a part in hardening Israel's heart so that they would do the things that they did in accomplishing the sacrifice for sin. They also tell us that God will one day bring them back to Him.

So, that's a very rough overview of God's plan as revealed to mankind in the Scriptures. Everything between the opening verses of Genesis and the last verses of the Revelation is God working out the plan. When Jesus spoke to his Father and said, 'it is finished', Jesus was speaking of the accomplishment and completion of this plan, so far as God's making Himself known to mankind and providing His sacrifice for sin.

From there, God is waiting patiently, just as Peter tells us, for the working out among all men those who will believe and be saved.

God bless you.
In Christ, Ted

 

[ravindraneee]

Like others suggested, reading Chronological Bible is definitely a good idea. You can also alternate between NT and OT together. NT and OT is something that we divided. But everything is Holy Scripture. May be you study/meditate the context of each chapter before starting. While the first few books of OT might sound boring, they are not. It has so much information about the first generation of Israel. You will see they were not too far away from a regular believers' heart!