themes of books of the bible: Old Testament Survey

1. Genesis

Theme: The first Book of the Bible includes the message of God’s sovereignty.
The book of beginnings includes two of the five parts of the outline of the Biblical narrative…

• Creation
• Fall

Genesis chapters 1 -11 include the creation story, Adam and Eve’s sin resulting in the curse as well as the account of the flood. Chapters 12 to 50 present the story of Abraham and his family.

Encouragement: Several encouraging passages include the story of Joseph, even though he had gone through so much adversity including being rejected and thrown into a pit and sold to slavery by his brothers as well as being falsely accused, God lifted him up to a high position. He humbled himself before God and continued in a righteous path.

A key verse in that narrative is Genesis 50:20:
“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

2. Exodus

Theme: God’s powerful deliverance

Moses is the main character who leads people into what would become the nation of Israel and God’s chosen people. The Exodus narrative displays divine power.

Encouragement: The encouragement for us today is to view God is one who desires redemption for His people.

3. Leviticus

Theme: divine holiness.

A broader theme pertains to worship of God. At this time in Biblical history, the law along with all its detailed instructions set very important boundaries for God’s people. As a result, they would be holy—that is set apart for His glory.

Encouragement: A reader of Leviticus might not immediately find any encouraging message. However, after the chapter about the extensive effects of uncleanness (Leviticus 15), Leviticus 16 centers on atonement. Because of the blood of Jesus purchased at Calvary’s cross, God washes us, purifies us, and gives us new life.

4. Numbers

Theme: The Book of Numbers shows divine goodness and blessings in the context of a new generation. You might say Numbers is about well…numbers. This is true to a certain extent and shows that the Lord is a God of detail. You see that in much of the Book.

Encouragement: A key encouraging passage in Numbers has to do with facing the giants in the land. The theme of courage and fighting in the power of God, and for us today the cross of Jesus Christ, certainly applies to spiritual warfare.

5. Deuteronomy

Theme: divine faithfulness

One of the key verses pertaining to God’s faithfulness is verse 7…

“Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.”

Unity is another theme in Deuteronomy.

Encouragement: God is faithful including in times of adversity. Are we going to be faithful to Him? In regard to unity, the concept of living as one people under God’s rule should encourage us in the following areas:

• When we are going through difficult times, turn to God in prayer but WITH other Christians who can provide that support.

• As iron sharpens iron, we can remain strong in the faith by staying connected with other believers, even when times are good.

• Staying in fellowship and not in isolation should be our goal. We should not give up meeting together but should encourage one another daily, all the more as we see the day approaching (Hebrews 10:25).

The themes of Books of the Bible include the following works of history:

6. Joshua

Theme: Courage

Encouragement: Joshua is about victory and conquering of the land. What an encouragement Joshua gives in verse 9:

“Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”

Joshua lays the foundation of success…

Verse 7--Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper withersoever thou goest.

Verse 8--The book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

This passage encourages us to immerse in God’s Word and not just meditate on passages, but to allow God to work change in our hearts and lives.

7. Judges

Theme: God’s faithfulness and deliverance

Encouragement: Throughout the Book, you have a collection of leaders who are not exactly ones who you would expect to be heroes. Yet God used them to provide us with an important message regarding faith. God will help us do His work in spite of our flaws. Another encouragement is that God gives His power and strength, even against all odds.

8. Ruth

Theme: Ruth is about redemption and the sovereignty of God.

Ruth is often known as a love story. It’s within that love story redemption occurs.

And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman (Ruth 4:14).

Encouragement: The encouragement for us from the Book of Ruth is God’s hand in guiding us in the right direction.

In Chapter 1, Naomi chooses to go with Ruth…

Verse 15-- Look, said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her."

Verse 16-- But Ruth replied, "Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.

Verse 17--Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me."

Verse 18--When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.

9. Books of 1 and 11 Samuel

Theme: God’s sovereign plan put in action

Encouragement: God works everything out according to His sovereign plans and purposes. Examples include Hannah’s struggles and the birth of Samuel as well as the anointing of David as King.

In life, we may face certain giants. The Book of 1 Samuel and the story of how God mightily worked through David should encourage us to move through life in faith, no matter what challenges we may face. First, God chose David because He knew his heart. His heart of faith then allowed him to conquer the giant, Goliath, the Book’s most popular story.

10. Books of 1 & 2 Kings

Theme: God’s faithful and just Kingship

In 1 Kings, we get into the story of Solomon and the divided kingdom. In addition, Elijah is major Bible character found in the narrative of 1 Kings.

2 Kings continues the narrative of the divided kingdom. The two separated nations were Israel in the north and Judah in the south. You’ll also find the story of Elisha.

Encouragement: Have you ever thought to yourself, has God failed on His promises? Am I too far gone? Will God bless me again? Am I still His?

For people who've made mistakes in life and who are trying to move on from the past, guilt can keep us from moving forward in the Christian life. Often this guilt can lead to more mistakes.

We see God's grace through the cross of Jesus Christ, and for Christians, that's the main message.

We can also learn from the Old Testament in terms of how God dealt with His people.

Readers around the time of the kings had recently experienced the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the Davidic succession (An Introduction to the Old Testament by Longman & Dillard, 195).Questions like "how could this have happened to us?" were likely in their minds.

The writer of Kings shows God's faithfulness but also His justice, righteousness, power, and holiness in judging His people for disobedience.

11. Books of 1 & 2 Chronicles

Theme: God’s Faithfulness

Encouragement: Having been written at a later time than the two Books of Kings, the questions from the audience were different. They expressed concerns such as...

• "In the judgment of the exile, had God ended His covenant with Israel?
• Are we still the people of God?
• Is God still interested in us?
• What do God's promises to Israel, Jerusalem, and David before the exile have to do with us who live after?" (Longman & Dillard, 196).

The writer of Chronicles addresses these concerns by making it clear that God remained faithful to His people.

One of the ways we see that is in the genealogies.

Regarding encouragement from the genealogies, see my page on this website, https://www.encouragementscriptures.com/Genealogies-of-the-bible.html"

12. Ezra

Theme: God’s sovereignty over the nations

The theme includes the return of the exiles to their land and reestablishment of their life of worship.

Encouragement: God can and does work through people, leaders, and nations to accomplish His purposes and bless His people.

13. Nehemiah

Theme: Restoration

The narrative of Nehemiah surrounds the rebuilding of the walls in Jerusalem. It took 52 days.

Encouragement: God breaks down barriers. As with Ezra, the story points forward to a time when the barrier between Jews and Gentiles would be broken.

As Longman points out, a time would come when Jesus tears the veil that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of creation. Instead of division, Christ through the cross brings unity among His people, thus tearing down walls of separation (212).

14. Esther

Theme: Preservation.

Encouragement: The main character and heroine of the story, Queen Esther, saved the lives of the Jews. What’s implied is God’s providence and sovereignty in terms of working things out for His people. As with Ezra and Nehemiah, the narrative points to a time when God through His Son Jesus Christ will bring Jew and Gentile together in unity (Longman, 223)

Poetic literature constitutes the next set of themes of Books of the Bible:

15. Job

Theme: Job demonstrates the sovereignty of God and what it’s like to truly trust in God.

Encouragement: Even though Job lost all his possessions, he still retained his faith. The Book encourages us to trust God that He will work everything out for good in terms of the big picture, which at the moment none of us can see.

After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his prosperity and doubled his former possessions (Job 42:10).

I went through a dark valley back in 2013 in which, similar to Job, spiritual warfare was a culprit. However, I have seen over time, like Job that God owns the big picture. He has brought forth prosperity in many ways including in my health.

16. Psalms

Theme: Worship of God in the context of a relationship.

Encouragement: These passages also express honest human emotions. The major encouraging message overall about the Psalms is that you can be open in prayer about negative emotions and yet still have faith. In the same Psalms, you find laments as well as praise/worship.

Express your feelings honestly to God, but turn the situation over to Him. Because of that trust in the Lord, praise can be on our lips.

The excerpt below from Psalm 6:6-9 demonstrates faith in spite of the emotions of sadness and anger. The Lord hath heard my supplication…

I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears.
Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies.
Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the LORD hath heard the voice of my weeping.
The LORD hath heard my supplication; the LORD will receive my prayer.

17. Proverbs

Theme: Seeking and obtaining wisdom.

Encouragement: The instruction is to seek after wisdom as a treasure. Taking it a step further, wisdom is personified in the Book. Wisdom is connected with the idea of fearing or revering the Lord. A key verse in Proverbs is 1:7 where it states, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom...

With that theme in mind, what is the encouraging message for us when looking at Proverbs as a whole? Well, following every Proverb won’t eliminate all of life’s problems, but what applying them will do is help us make the right decisions (result of wisdom) with our speech, and our actions, as well as give us a better understanding of the Lord and His purpose for our lives.

18. Ecclesiastes

Theme: This book contains a dual theme---this temporary earth and life as vanity, while fulfillment comes from knowing God.

Encouragement: for us, part of the encouragement that is implied is to seek fulfillment in God alone.

While Ecclesiastes might sound like a depressing Book, its passages do reflect the meaninglessness of life apart from God. The encouragement to seek God in the midst of that empty void. The picture in Ecclesiastes is that of a curse, but the overall plan was and is redemption:

“He hath made everything beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.”

19. Song of Songs

Theme: Intimacy

Encouragement: This Book of love contains picturesque poetic language and describes the beauty of marital relationships.

The encouragement of this Book is that just because Christians are instructed to live highly devoted lives to the Lord, that does not mean that having a sex life or a sex drive is evil in itself.

The Book is a reminder that sex within the parameters of marriage is a God-given gift. Implied though is the discouragement to follow the idolatry and obsession with sex found in our culture.

As long as one does not ignore the message of human sexuality in the Book, you can read the poem and reflect on the spiritual relationship and intimacy between God and humans.

Themes of Books of the Bible include the following major prophetic passages...

20. Isaiah

Theme: From judgment to glory

Encouragement: God’s desire is for restoration to take place. However, first God calls us to turn from darkness and to walk in His light.

Isaiah 2:5 says, “…Let us walk in the light of the LORD.”

21. Jeremiah

Theme: God’s covenantal grace, mercy, and patience amidst His righteous judgment

Encouragement: Though it sounds to many people that God was extremely harsh in terms of judgment in the Old Testament, the reality is that He gave plenty of time and chances for repentance.

Because God is holy and just, He must judge sin/evil. God is longsuffering, and so we need to embrace the opportunities to turn to Him and do so continually. The context is covenant, which means God’s desire to be in a pure, “non-adulterous” relationship with His people.

22. Lamentations

Theme: God’s Faithfulness Amid Trials

Jeremiah’s diary of tears and laments over the fall of Jerusalem characterize the Book.

Encouragement: The one bright passage within what sounds like a depressing Book is 3:23-24:
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

So, if you feel like you’ve committed too many sins or that you are unsure about your standing with God, these verses show the Lord’s willingness to give us the chance and the grace to move forward in life.

23. Ezekiel

Theme: Restoration of God’s People

The Book of Ezekiel presents the message of the restoration of God’s people with the dry bones coming back to life image.

Encouragement: When God seems distant or when we are not sure about our standing before God, take time to reflect and reevaluate our lives. God longs to restore His people—those who humble themselves and repent.

24. Daniel

Theme: God’s powerful and effective involvement in human history and the lives of His people; God’s deliverance

Daniel includes apocalyptic literature describing the times of the Gentiles and Babylonian captivity. The Book contains a lot of symbolic material, and so to better understand what God is saying through the prophet Daniel, check out my dad’s blog post series called, “Daniel Simplified:”

https://thebreadoflifeministries2.blogspot.com/

Encouragement: As God works in human history in the overall big picture, we can trust in Him that He has the power to deliver us.

Often the last set of Books in the Old Testament are referred to as the Minor Prophets. Here are the next 12 themes of Books of the Bible:

25. Hosea

Theme: God’s unceasing love.

You can see this in the narrative about the harlot—the unfaithful wife of Gomer.

Encouragement: The message included in Hosea is God’s love in spite of the unfaithfulness of His people. Although Hosea like many of the other prophetic Books describes a God who is angry, that anger is a jealous anger out of love for His people. Think of the analogy of one married to His or her spouse.

26. Joel

Theme: God’s active plan of grace and mercy

In Joel is a picture of judgment with the image of locusts and invasion of Judah by Babylon. However, in that same message is the hope of restoration.

Encouragement: God is actively involved in the big picture when it comes to events in our lives and in the world.. He desires restoration and to show mercy and grace. Will we respond to His call to return to Him?

27. Amos

Theme: Keeping things straight

One of the main images in Amos is that of a plumbline and keeping things straight.
Israel had drifted from God’s righteous standards. Amos emphasizes the need for justice and the deliverance of the oppressed.

As in other prophetic Books, plenty of judgment language is found in Amos. The context of God’s justice, an attribute that teaches us a lot about Him, should be kept in view here.

The phrase, “Yet you have not returned to me” is repeated in verses 6 and 8, 9, 10, and 11.

Encouragement: The encouragement for us is to keep seeking the Lord. Keep returning to His presence and seek Him as a refuge if we are dealing with guilt and shame over sin.

28. Obadiah

Theme: God’s justice

As in the short prophetic Book of Habakkuk (see below), Obadiah emphasizes God’s justice which will prevail as well as His sovereignty. Verse 17 says…

But on Mount Zion will be deliverance;
it will be holy, and Jacob will possess his inheritance.

Encouragement: How this statement applies to us has to do with God’s promises He fulfills in our lives. Even if God does not seem to be working, notice the verb, “will.” He will do something. Deliverance (fill in the blank to how that applies to you) will come.

29. Jonah

Theme: God’s grace

Encouragement: The story of Jonah being eaten by the great fish shows God’s goodness to the Gentiles. Jonah tried to get away from the will of God, but the Lord was persistent in accomplishing His purposes by using Jonah for a specific mission to Nineveh.

When we get off track in the plans God has for us, the encouraging news for us is, He offers us His grace. The great fish that swallowed Jonah was actually an act of deliverance by God. God’s grace was also sent to the Ninevites and shows how much He wants to reach out to His people, Jew or Gentile.

And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?

We must bear in mind that God gives people a free will, but He does offer His grace.

30. Micah

Theme: Change: Involving God’s judgment on one hand by restoration on the other

Encouragement: The message of Micah is to walk (spiritually) in the name of God versus the name of idols, thereby experiencing the blessings of the Lord.

31. Nahum
Theme: An avenging, just God against evil but a refuge for those who trust in Him.

Nahum paints the picture of God as a jealous and avenging God who is slow to anger but has to bring justice and judgment due to His perfect attributes that involve righteousness and holiness.

The prophecy was against Nineveh because of their extreme cruelty.

The LORD is a jealous and avenging God;
the LORD takes vengeance and is filled with wrath.
The LORD takes vengeance on his foes
and vents his wrath against his enemies.
The LORD is slow to anger but great in power;

Encouragement: The message for the righteous is to take refuge in God—specifically to receive His care and take refuge in Him in times of trouble—instead of turning to idols.

The LORD is good,
a refuge in times of trouble.
He cares for those who trust in him...

32. Habakkuk

Theme: God’s Justice

This minor prophet is like a watchtower who waits for God to right the wrongs in this world. He prayed for the Lord to address what he called a perversion of justice.

Encouragement: The encouraging message of Habakkuk is about God’s justice ultimately prevailing. God's response to Habakkuk was that though it seems there is no justice, there will come a day that God will make everything right. That gives us hope for the future.

Note Habakkuk chapter 2:3:

For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it[f] will certainly come and will not delay.

It's not hard to see how Habakkuk applies to today. Many have expressed discouragement and anger over the lack of justice in this world. the Book of Revelation offers that encouragement in terms of Jesus coming back as righteous judge and ending this "perversion of justice." God will restore His creation and establish His kingdom on earth.

The encouraging message for Christians is, even though we are in a waiting period, the justice is coming, and when that time comes, it will be swift.

33. Zephaniah

Theme: The Day of the Lord and His Wrath Against the Nations but Restoration of the Remnant

Encouragement: Trust in and draw near to God

34. Haggai

Theme: The priority of God’s Work

This minor prophetic Book is a a call specifically to to finish rebuilding the temple.

Encouragement: The Lord’s presence and His desire to bless us as we remain faithful to Him and the work of His Kingdom.

35. Zechariah

Theme: Restoration

The second to last Book in the Old Testament is about the coming of the Messiah.

Encouragement: The Lord promises to return to His people as they return to Him. As in Haggai, clearly, you see the Lord’s desire to bless.

36. Malachi

Theme: God’s covenant relationship with His people

Encouragement: In Malachi, the Lord addresses the issue of the heart not honoring Him and being in the right place. His people exhibited this kind of coldness and unfaithfulness. The encouragement is for His people to return to the Lord and He will return to them. Return to the Lord by revering God, pursuing righteousness, and serving the Lord.

Hopefully the above themes of Books of the Bible help you connect the dots in the overall message of the Old Testament. 

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For a broad overview of the Bible's message, click here:

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