What the Bible Is All About KJV

Bible Handbook

Dr. Henrietta C. Mears

• Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
• Year: 2016
• ISBN:
  9781496416063
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Reference

What the Bible Is All About is the essential handbook for anyone who wants to read and understand God's Word. Inside this revised and updated edition of Henrietta Mears' classic, you'll find an overview of every book in the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. In addition, What the Bible Is All About will

• Provide a complete guide to the Scriptures
• Explain how Jesus is revealed in the Old and New Testaments
• Show why the Bible is one book, one history, one story
• Introduce key people in biblical history
• Give historical background for every major event
• Highlight recurring biblical themes
• Provide helpful reading plans, maps, and charts, and other study helps

Discover for yourself why What the Bible Is All About is one of the world's best-selling Bible handbooks, with more than 4 million in print. This user-friendly guide makes it easier than ever to plant the Word in your heart and mind!

PART ONE

The Old Testament

BOOKS OF LAW

Genesis • Exodus • Leviticus • Numbers • Deuteronomy

BOOKS OF HISTORY

Joshua • Judges • Ruth • 1 Samuel • 2 Samuel • 1 Kings • 2 Kings
1 Chronicles • 2 Chronicles • Ezra • Nehemiah • Esther

BOOKS OF POETRY

Job • Psalms • Proverbs • Ecclesiastes • Song of Solomon

BOOKS OF THE MAJOR PROPHETS

Isaiah • Jeremiah • Lamentations • Ezekiel • Daniel

BOOKS OF THE MINOR PROPHETS

Hosea • Joel • Amos • Obadiah • Jonah • Micah
Nahum • Habakkuk • Zephaniah • Haggai
Zechariah • Malachi

Books of Law

of the Old Testament

GENESIS • EXODUS • LEVITICUS
NUMBERS • DEUTERONOMY

Key Events of the Books of Law

Books of Law: There Is One and Only One True God

The five books of the Law are also called “the Pentateuch,” which means “five scrolls.” The core of this ancient literature was written by Moses (see Luke 24:27; John 5:46). These books describe the creation of the world, God’s call to the Hebrews

to be His special people, their captivity and release

from Egypt, the law

that guided them on their way to the Promised Land

and how God blessed the people when they obeyed and disciplined them when they disobeyed.

Understanding Genesis

Genesis Portrays Jesus Christ, Our Creator God

AUTHOR: The author of the book of Genesis is not identified. Traditionally, it has always been assumed that the author was Moses, according to the testimony of the Old Testament (see Exodus 17:14; 24:4; Numbers 33:2) and the New Testament according to the Lord Jesus and His apostles (see John 5:46).

DATE: The book of Genesis does not indicate when it was written. The date of authorship may be between 1265 and 1220 BC, between the time Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt and his death.

PURPOSE AND SUMMARY: The word “genesis” signifies “generation” or “origin” and comes from the Greek translation of Genesis 2:4. It is an appropriate title for the first book of the Bible, which contains the record of the origin of the universe, the human race, family life, nations, sin and redemption. The first 11 chapters, which deal with primeval or pre-patriarchal times, present the events preceding Hebrew history from Adam to Abraham. The remaining chapters (12–50) are concerned with God’s dealings with the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Jacob’s son Joseph, all “fathers” of the people whom God has chosen to carry out His plan for the redemption of mankind. The book closes with these “Chosen People” in Egypt.

Genesis is the seed plot of the Word of God. The title “Genesis,” which is Greek, means “origin,” and the first Hebrew word of Genesis is translated “in the beginning”—words that indicate both the scope and the limits of the book. It tells us the beginning of everything except God. Another thing to notice is that it tells only of beginnings. There is no finality here. Upon its truths all the future revelation of God to people is built up.

Satan appears to have special enmity for the book of Genesis. No wonder the adversary has bent his attacks upon it. It exposes him as the enemy of God and the deceiver of the human race; it foretells his destruction; it depicts his doom (see Genesis 3). Without Genesis, our knowledge of a creating God would be pitifully limited; we would be woefully ignorant of the beginnings of our universe.

A BOOK OF BEGINNINGS

Genesis is the book of beginnings:

• The beginning of the world—Genesis 1:1-25

• The beginning of the human race—Genesis 1:26–2:25

• The beginning of sin in the world—Genesis 3:1-7

• The beginning of the promise of redemption—Genesis 3:8-24

• The beginning of family life—Genesis 4:1-15

• The beginning of civilization—Genesis 4:16–9:29

• The beginning of the nations of the world—Genesis 10–11

• The beginning of the Hebrew people—Genesis 12–50

• Adam began with God and fell through disobedience—Genesis 3:1-24

• Abel began with God by the blood of sacrifice—Genesis 4:4

• Noah began with God by way of the ark—Genesis 6:8,14,22

• Abraham began with God when he built altars—Genesis 12:8

These all made new beginnings for humankind.

Genesis is the record of the beginnings of all these things. No wonder that when people, because of spiritual blindness (see Ephesians 4:18), reject God’s revelation in this peerless record of beginnings, they worship chance as the creator, beasts as their ancestors and fallen humanity as the flower of natural evolution!

A Book of History

Genesis begins with “God” (Genesis 1:1) but ends “in a coffin” (Genesis 50:26). This book is a history of human failure. But we find that God meets every failure. He is a glorious Savior. We find that “where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Romans 5:20).

Genesis gives us a record of at least 2,000 years. It is not entirely history; it is a spiritual interpretation of history. In two chapters, God flashes on the wall an account of the creation of the world and of humanity. From there on, we see the story of redemption: God is bringing lost people back to Himself.

We have noted Satan’s reasons for attacking this majestic book. Its authorship by Moses, its scientific accuracy and its literal testimony to human sin as deliberate disobedience to God have all been bitterly attacked. The Word of God, however, definitely declares Genesis to be one of the living oracles delivered to Moses. To its infallible truth and its testimony to the Messiah, our Lord Jesus testified Himself (see John 5:46-47).

If Genesis were to be discounted, a divine Creator, a divine creation, a divinely promised Redeemer and a divinely inspired Bible would also have to be discounted. But around its sacred pages is the protection of the Holy Spirit of God who inspired its words. If there were more study of Genesis instead of so much argument about it, its truth would be clearer. Many origins are recorded in the first 11 chapters: natural universe, human life, sin, death, redemption, civilization, nations and languages.

The remainder of the book—Genesis 12–50—delves into the beginnings of the Hebrew people: first in their founding through Abraham and then in their subsequent development and history through the great figures of Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. This great Hebrew nation was founded with the definite purpose that through it the whole world should be blessed.

A Book of Promises and Answers

God promised Abraham, a believer in Him, that his descendants:

1. Would inherit the land of Canaan

2. Would become a great nation

3. Would be a blessing on all nations (see Genesis 12:1-3)

God repeated these promises to Isaac and Jacob (see Genesis 26:1-5; 28:13-15).

Genesis tells us seven great names and messages:

1. Bow with Abel at the cross of the slain lamb.

2. Catch up with Enoch and walk with God.

3. Believe God and launch out with Noah on God’s waters.

4. Go forth with Abraham in faith.

5. Dig wells with Isaac and get down to divine resources.

6. Climb ladders with Jacob and see God.

7. Be true like Joseph and live with God.

Genesis answers the great questions of the soul:

• What is the eternity of God?

• Where did we come from?

• Where did sin come from?

• How can sinful people get back to God (Abel’s sacrifice)?

• How can we please God (Abraham’s faith)?

• How can we have power with God and people (Jacob’s surrender)?

Three words might give us the outline of Genesis:

1. Generation—“In the beginning God” (Genesis 1:1)

2. Degeneration—“Now the serpent” (Genesis 3:1)

3. Regeneration—“Now the LORD” (Genesis 12:1)

Genesis is the record of human failure: first in an ideal environment (Eden), then under the rule of conscience (from the Fall to the Flood), and finally under patriarchal rule (Noah to Joseph). In every case of human failure, however, God met human need with marvelous promises of sovereign grace. It is therefore fitting that the Bible’s first book should show us the failure of humanity under every condition met by the salvation of God.

Won’t you make a genesis (a beginning) of your own with a new love of our Lord in your own life?

Hints of the Messiah

Remember, Jesus Christ is the center of the Bible. He is somewhere on every page. In Genesis we see Him in type (the foreshadowing of Christian meanings in Old Testament people and events) and prophecy (supernatural knowledge given by God to holy people to reveal truth and to foretell events) in:

• Seed of woman—Genesis 3:15

• The entrance into the ark of safety—Genesis 7:1,7

• The offering up of Isaac—Genesis 22:1-24

• Jacob’s ladder—Genesis 28:12

• Judah’s scepter—Genesis 49:10

• Joseph lifted from pit to throne—Genesis 37:28; 41:41-44

The Period of the Patriarchs

The period of the patriarchs is the groundwork and basis of all history. It covers the time from Adam to Moses. In consequence of the failures on the part of people during this early period, God called out an individual. He put aside the nations and called a man, Abraham, who was to become the father of the Hebrew nation. We enter into this period in Genesis 12.

There are five patriarchal fathers: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and Job. (The book of Job must be put after the book of Genesis and before the book of Exodus. Job certainly lived before Moses, and we read of Moses in Exodus 2.)

God called Abraham and with him made a covenant, known as the Abrahamic Covenant. Become familiar with this covenant (Genesis 12:1-3). If you are not, the whole study of the Chosen People (in fact, the whole Old Testament) will have little meaning. God repeated that covenant to Abraham’s son Isaac and again to his grandson Jacob (see Genesis 26:1-5; 28:13-15). He repeated it to no one else.

These three, therefore, are the covenant fathers, and that is why you read in Scripture, “I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (Acts 7:32). He never adds anyone else. God gave His covenant to these three and it is for them to communicate it to others. What is the covenant? Read Genesis 12:1-3, 26:1-5 and 28:13-15.

The Link Between Family and Nation

A very large portion of the story of Genesis is devoted to Joseph (see Genesis 37–48). Why? Because Joseph is the link between the family and the nation. Up till the time of Joseph, the main concern is a family, the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Some 70 souls are found at the end of the book of Genesis, constituting the family of Jacob. But still it is a family with which God is dealing. Read about this family and the blessings Jacob gave to each of his sons (see Genesis 49).

The moment we turn the page and step into Exodus, the main concern is a nation, not a family. During the long period from the end of Genesis to the opening of Exodus, the Hebrew nation has developed, and Joseph is the connection between it and the family.

Joseph is a character presented without fault—not that he didn’t have any faults, but his faults are not recorded. He was a man of flesh and blood like us. God honored him, for there are at least 130 parallels between the life of Joseph and the life of Jesus. He is therefore the messianic patriarch, the patriarch who reflected the Christ Himself.

THE AUTHOR OF GENESIS

The age-long Hebrew and Christian position is that Moses, guided by the Spirit of God, wrote Genesis. The book closes approximately 300 year...