The Bible Has Two Main Parts

Before diving into the Old Testament itself, it helps to understand the Bible's overall structure.

The Bible is divided into two major sections:

The Old Testament tells the story leading up to the coming of the Messiah. It begins with creation, follows God's covenant with Israel, and contains hundreds of prophecies pointing to the Savior.

The New Testament begins with the birth of Jesus Christ, tells the story of His life, death, and resurrection, and continues with the growth of the early Church.

Together, both Testaments tell one unified story of God's plan to redeem humanity.




The Law (Genesis–Deuteronomy)

The first five books of the Bible are often called The Law, The Torah, or The Pentateuch.

These books lay the foundation for everything that follows.

You'll read about:

Creation
Adam and Eve
Noah and the Flood
Abraham and God's covenant
Israel's slavery in Egypt
The Exodus
Moses
The Ten Commandments
God's laws for His people

These books introduce God's relationship with Israel and establish many of the themes that continue throughout the rest of Scripture.




History (Joshua–Esther)

The Historical Books tell the story of Israel after they entered the Promised Land.

You'll follow Israel through centuries of victories, failures, faithful leaders, rebellious kings, exile, and restoration.

Major events include:

The conquest of Canaan
The period of the Judges
Israel's first kings
David and Solomon
The divided kingdom
The Babylonian exile
The return to Jerusalem
The rebuilding of the Temple

These books help us see God's faithfulness even when His people repeatedly turned away from Him.




Poetry and Wisdom (Job–Song of Solomon)

Not every book in the Bible tells history.

The Wisdom Books explore life's deepest questions through poetry, songs, prayers, and wise sayings.

Topics include:

Worship
Prayer
Suffering
Wisdom
Love
Joy
Fear of the Lord
Everyday living

This section includes familiar books like Psalms and Proverbs, which many Christians read regularly for encouragement and practical wisdom.




The Prophets (Isaiah–Malachi)

The final section of the Old Testament contains the writings of God's prophets.

The prophets were God's messengers, sent to call His people back to Him.

Their messages often included:

Warnings against sin
Calls to repentance
Encouragement during difficult times
Promises of restoration
Prophecies about the coming Messiah

Although these books contain predictions of future events, much of their message addressed the people living during the prophets' own lifetimes.

One important note: Major Prophets and Minor Prophets do not describe importance. The terms simply refer to the length of the books.




How the Sections Fit Together

The four sections aren't separate stories—they work together to tell one continuous account of God's relationship with humanity.

You can think of them like this:

The Law introduces God's creation, His covenant, and the beginning of Israel.
History shows how Israel lived in the Promised Land and how God remained faithful through every generation.
Poetry and Wisdom explores what it means to trust, worship, and live wisely.
The Prophets call God's people back to Him while pointing forward to the coming Savior.

Each section builds on the one before it, helping tell the larger story that ultimately leads to Jesus Christ.




Seeing the Big Picture

The Old Testament may seem intimidating at first, but understanding its four main sections makes reading it much easier.

Instead of viewing it as 39 unrelated books, you'll begin to see a carefully organized collection that tells one incredible story of God's faithfulness, His covenant with His people, and His promise to send a Savior.

Once you understand where each book fits, navigating the Old Testament becomes much less overwhelming—and much more rewarding.