On the Bible805 Bible Reading Schedule we are going through the Bible in Chronological order.
You’ll notice that along with the longer passage each day is a Psalm or a chapter in Proverbs.
In this short lesson, I’d like to take a few minutes to explain why we’re doing this. I’ll first explain how we are organizing the books of history and the prophets, and then why these books are different than the books that make up the chronological reading of the Bible, why it’s OK to put them where they are, and more than that, how reading them in this way will help you grow in your Christian life and encourage you on your journey.
This lesson is an overview of two longer lessons that go into a more detailed introduction of the books of Psalms and Proverbs, the links to them follow. Be sure to check them out.
• Psalms: How to walk with Jesus in every part of life
• Proverbs, a reliable GPS for a disciple of Jesus
Below is a copy of the chart, I talked about in the lesson (Click on the image to download it) and following is the podcast and video on the topic. Below them is the transcript of the lesson.
In our Plan to Read through the Bible in Chronological Order
- In addition to the historical readings each day,
- We read either a Psalm or a chapter of Proverbs.
- Why we are doing that and how it will benefit you is the topic of our lesson today entitled. . . . .
Why Psalms and Proverbs
are a DAILY part of our Chronological Order Bible reading
Yvon Prehn, Bible805
On the Bible805 schedule
• We are going through the Bible in Chronological order.
• And you’ll notice each day with the longer passage is a Psalm or a Proverb.
• I’d like to take a few minutes to explain why we’re doing this.
• I’ll first explain how we are organizing the books of history and the prophets, and then why these books are different and put where they are.
Reading the Bible, as a whole, in Chronological order is the priority
• One of the reasons is so we can read the messages in the prophets in the setting, the history, in which they gave their message.
• SOME of these messages from the prophets are in the historical books themselves such as in 1,2 Samuel, and 1,2 Kings, such as the story of when Elijah confronts King Ahab for stealing the vineyard of a farmer simply because he had the power to do it.
• When the great prophets, Samuel, Elijah, and Elisha delivered their messages, they were included in the written history of the kings at that time.
• In addition to these men, the lesser-known prophets, such as Semaiah, who declared judgment on Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, and unnamed individuals such as one described only as a “man of God” were also included when they spoke.
• In summary, we don’t have separate books by these earlier prophets.
Something changed after that—
• In that the books of history after about 760 BC no longer contain the entire messages of the prophets, though they are sometimes quoted and mentioned.
• Maybe it is because their messages were longer, more complex, and often to the nation as a whole.
• We aren’t sure of the specific reasons, but the prophets began writing their messages in collections that became separate books.
• Instead of putting in the entire messages of the prophets as they took place with the written history, in what the Hebrew scribes called “The Former Prophets”
• The Hebrew scribes placed these books of the prophet’s messages only in a separate group apart from their history, called “The Later Prophets.”
• Later translators of the Bible followed their pattern—in the Septuagint (the early Greek translation of the Old Testament), the Vulgate (the early Christian Latin translation of the entire Bible) and our Bibles today, they are all grouped at the end of the Old Testament and by size of the books (major meaning larger; minor meaning smaller), not in their historical order.
• Our reading plan reading plan puts the messages of the prophets back with the history that prompted them, starting with Jonah, Amos, and Hosea.
To help you keep the messages of the prophets with the history that prompted them, there is a
Timeline of the Prophets
available on www.Bible805.com
In summary, our reading plan
• Puts the messages of the prophets back in to the flow of the history that prompted their message.
• The first prophet we will read in this way is Jonah. Many know the story of how he was swallowed by a big fish, but 2 Kings 14, when Jeroboam II, was king in Israel tells us his backstory.
• He was a prophet in Israel with a popular message that God would conquer Israel’s oppressors, which happened. After that success God calls him to go speak to Israel’s greatest enemy, Assyria and the story of the whale follows.
• Jonah again has great success with his preaching and the entire city repents, but instead of thanking God, staying around to teach the people about Jehovah and potentially changing the entire course of the following years of Assyrian bloodshed, Jonah stomps out of town, is mad at God for His mercy and we hear no more about him.
• Jonah may have given up on God; God never gives up on his people and soon after sends another prophet to Israel, which we will read about next, Amos.
• And so, it goes as we continue through the Old Testament reading in order the history and the prophets who spoke at those times.
• But there are two books in the Bible that don’t fit into ONE historical place with either their history or their messages.
Those two books are Psalms and Proverbs
• Following are the characteristics that make Psalms and Proverbs different than other books—
• Neither has one overall historical narrative, main character, or plot line.
• They are compilations of writings.
• Written by a variety of authors, over a long period of time.
• Psalms—David wrote the most (73 out of 150), other writers included Moses, Sons of Korah, and many are anonymous.
• Proverbs—were primarily collected by Solomon (he did not write them all) and later others added to his collections.
We don’t need to read the whole book of Psalms or Proverbs to benefit from them
• It does damage the integrity of other books if you don’t read them as a whole—
• Much distortion/misinterpretation is done when a passage is pulled out of context. Jer. 29:11 great example…..written to Babylonian exiles and you can’t simply pull it out of its historical content and claim God promises unconditionally to everyone what He wrote to a specific people at a specific time (though the pattern of His love and mercy transcends time).
• In contrast, it does not damage the entire book of Psalms to pull out a Psalm and read it. You don’t have to read all of Psalms to be comforted by Ps. 23 and its message that “the Lord is my Shepard.”
• You don’t have to read all of Proverbs to learn from individual proverbs—
• Prov. 10:4 Lazy hands make for poverty,
but diligent hands bring wealth.
• Prov. 10:8 The wise in heart accept commands,
but a chattering fool comes to ruin.
In addition to not being part of exact history, why I have you reading Psalms and Proverbs each day
• We all need a GPS system for our lives.
• Guides for how to live and what to do.
• Our current world, the media, accepted bad behavior not to mention current advances in AI (artificial intelligence)
• Make the guidance systems available to us as bad as MapQuest was in the early days where it would lead you to dead ends.
• We need more than that and ….
Psalms and Proverbs can provide the needed GPS
• I have two overview lessons of each book that will overview them and what you can learn from them, please check out:
• Psalms: How to walk with Jesus in every part of life
• Proverbs, a reliable GPS for a disciple of Jesus
• In addition to the overall guidance they provide, sometimes the daily readings, especially in the Old Testament, can be a bit difficult to get through and seem unrelated to practical life—but these books will always give you practical reasons to pray, praise, adjust your life and praise God.
• These verses sum up their value well—
• The revelation of God is whole and pulls our lives together. The signposts of God are clear and point out the right road. The life-maps of God are right, showing the way to joy. Ps. 19:7-8
• Do your Bible reading each day, ending with a Psalm or chapter of Proverbs to live wisely and joyfully, the way God intends you to live!