The majority of the Bible is made up of historical accounts or prophecies that were penned throughout Israel’s historical period. Thus, a basic understanding of the Bible’s narrative is necessary.
The Old Testament
Creation and fall
The creation account is where the Bible starts. It tells the story of how God made the earth and the heavens out of nothing. In addition, he made humans, animals, and plants. Everything was excellent. However, the first human pair was lured into disobedience and sin by God’s enemy, Satan, as described in the third chapter of the Bible. This was a sea change in human history since it meant that people were born flawed and immoral. They had a very bad relationship with their Creator, which had a terrible effect on how they interacted with other people and the world.
Flood
The behavior of humanity continued to deteriorate. “The Lord saw that there was great wickedness in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of man’s heart was only evil continually,” according to Genesis 6:5. God made the decision to bring about [a big flood] to wipe out all life. In a boat, one pair of each sort of animal and Noah and his family were the only ones who survived. The earth became dry once more after a year or so, and they were free to abandon the boat. God vowed not to wipe out every living thing on the planet ever again.
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
The narratives found in the Bible following the deluge center on a single man and his offspring. James 2:23 refers to this man as “a friend of God,” and his name was Abraham. God vowed to bless Abraham, to ensure that his offspring would remain in Canaan forever, and to bless “all the families of the earth” through him (Genesis 12:3). Abraham’s wife Sarah gave birth to the boy that God had promised them when Abraham was 100 years old. Isaac, this son, fathered Jacob (also known as Israel), who had twelve sons of his own. These became [the people of Israel’s] ancestors.
The people of Israel
A famine forced Jacob’s family to relocate to Egypt. As their numbers grew, the Egyptians started to fear them and started mistreating them. God heard the Israelites’ cries for help, and He gave Moses the task of leading the people out of slavery. However, Pharaoh didn’t release them until after numerous paranormal omens and calamities. The Israelites were led by God through the desert and into the land of Canaan. He gave them numerous commands and directions while on this journey, as well as a covenant that they breached. The Israelites eventually made their home in their homeland. God foretold that they would be taken from the land and dispersed among all peoples if they disobeyed His commandment (Deuteronomy 28:58-64).
God judges but remains faithful
The Israelites frequently turned away from the Lord and toward idols, as documented in the books of Judges, Kings, and Chronicles. God sent his prophets to warn them, sent famines or enemies to punish them, and then pardoned them when they turned to Him in repentance. Despite His extreme patience, God ultimately brought the Israelites into captivity, just as He had forewarned them. The inhabitants were taken to Babylon and Assyria, the temple was destroyed along with the capital city of Jerusalem.
The story continued after Israel was taken into captivity, or exiled. God has not wavered! A small group of people left and reconstructed the temple in their own nation. In addition, the Lord declared that a Messiah would arrive to bring about reconciliation and healing.
The New Testament
Jesus Christ
The New Testament describes the birth of Jesus Christ following decades of stillness, regarding which the Bible says nothing. The anticipated Messiah was [him]. Jesus started His teaching and healing public ministry at the age of thirty. He shared the good news that by placing one’s faith in Jesus Christ, one can make peace with God. However, a large number of people—including religious authorities—did not accept Him. Jesus was crucified after around three years of service, and [He resurrected from the dead] three days later! His passing marked a watershed in history rather than a failure. Jesus paid the price for human sin by dying on a cross. And He overcame death via His resurrection.
The early church
While He was gone, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to empower, transform, and direct His disciples before ascending back to His heavenly Father. The development of the tiny group of Jesus’ followers in Jerusalem into the global church is chronicled throughout the remainder of the New Testament. It is full of letters, addressed to both churches and individuals, with thoughts on the significance and range of Jesus’ redemptive work as well as advice on how to live as a Christian. The apostle John’s prophecies about what would happen before Jesus returns for a second time, when He will judge humanity and create a new world and heavens, are documented in the last book of the Bible.
Please refer to our [generic timeline] for a summary of the dates of the important events.
