A Symphony for the Soul
We begin, in this study, a general examination of the books in the Bible—Genesis through Revelation. As the Lord reveals Himself through each book we study, may your love for and reliance upon Him be enhanced.
“In the beginning…”
If you’re like most people, beginnings are important times in your life—your first day of college, the time you started a new job, or the day your child was born. Beginnings matter. Understanding our beginnings—where we come from—helps us understand something of who we are.
Chuck Swindoll’s God’s Masterwork, Volume One—Beginnings: A Survey of Genesis–Deuteronomy will introduce you to the Old Testament in general and to the first five books of the Bible specifically. With one message devoted to each of these initial books, the first volume of the God’s Masterwork series will provide you with an overview of each biblical book, allow you the opportunity to gain an understanding of each book’s major themes and stories, and encourage you to trust in the God who established all things.
We begin, in this study, a general examination of the books in the Bible—Genesis through Revelation. As the Lord reveals Himself through each book we study, may your love for and reliance upon Him be enhanced.
In this overview, we want to get a grasp on what the book of Genesis is saying, how it fits together, and where it leads us in the next scriptural scene.
Exodus is an account of how God miraculously delivered His people and then began to train them to walk in faith through His provision of a set of written instructions (the Mosaic Law) and a place of meeting for worship (the tabernacle). Exodus begins with a groan and ends in glory.
Leviticus is frequently passed off as an unimportant document of out-of-date details. Because the book is directly related to Israelites under the Mosaic Law, many Christians today choose to ignore its contents. But God has preserved Leviticus for a particular purpose.
At a crucial juncture, the people doubted God’s promise and retreated into unbelief. The result? Monotonous wandering in circles for almost 40 years as all individuals 20 years and older died off, leaving a new generation to enter Canaan, the land of promise.
A new generation was on the scene. Canaan—the Promised Land—was just beyond the border. The Hebrews were eager to invade and claim the territory. For almost 500 years, they had lived away from home, like fugitives. They longed to settle down and deepen their roots. But a very strategic matter had to be settled beforehand.