25 terms

Religion: the 46 books of the Old Testament

heres a description of each book we have to know.
means "beginning". this contains stories of prehistory and stories of the patriarchs.
a central book of the Old Testament. it tells of the Isrealites' enslavement in Egypt, freedom by God, and their wandering in the desert
this examines the particulars of the law. it deals with the theme of holiness in all aspects of life.
tells the story of when the Jews traveled to the Promised Land. it stresses the need for Israel to be totally dedicated and commited to God if it is to succeed as a nation
means "second law." it repeats much of the 3 previous books in the form of sermons delivered by Moses. it appeals to obedience and loyalty to God.
this book contains a pattern of judgement on Israel that was first introduced in Deuteronomy.
tells the story of the Israleites worshiping false gods, the Lord allows an enemy to conquer, God helps by sending judges.
a short story centering on the lives of Naomi and Ruth. it shows how God can work things for the best even in the midst of suffering.
1 & 2 Samuel
tells the story of the people requesting for a human leader even though they were assured that God is the only leader. Saul becomes king (he is a bad leader) and then David becomes king (he is looked at as the ideal ruler)
1 & 2 Kings
tells the story of David's death and the reign of his son, Solomon.
1 & 2 Chronicles
retell the stories of Samuel and Kings, but from a priestly perspective
Ezra and Nehemiah
these were once a single book. these books tell the story of the Chosen people after they returned from exile in Babylon.
Tobit, Judith, and Esther
these were written as 3 short novels. 1: God works in people's lives to further his plans. God rewards people who remain faithful 2: God cared for Israel. 3: God works through the actions of humans to preserve the chosen people when they were threatened with destruction in a hostile world.
1 & 2 Maccabees
these trace the history of the Jews up to the second century BC. when greeks tried to stamp out Jewish identity, this man rebelled. he and his brothers' efforts led to religious and political freedom
teaches the important lesson that God's ways are not our ways. this tells of the trial of an innocent man and raises the question of why bad things happen to good people.
a collection of 5 books of poetry/ song lyrics. they praise and thank God.
lists short sayings of rules or lessons for moral living. they educate the reader on how to live a good life.
means "someone who calls an assembly." teach lessons on how to live. the important lesson to learn is that only God is eternal, so we should put our faith and hope in him.
Song of Songs
a poem that celebrates the ideal of romantic love between a woman and man. stresses the importance of marriage.
encourages Jews living in Egypt to remain faithful to their heritage. it clearly states the belief in an afterlife where those who live a good life will be rewarded.
this recounts many wise sayings and maxims. it is the only book of the Old Testament whose author is identified.
a prophet who wrote that God would make a new covenant in the future
a prophet who used symbolic images to spread his message of God's presence and power and the need to take personal responsibility for one's actions
a prophet who used apocalyptic writing to encourage persecuted people that God would be faithful and rescue them.
Minor prophets