Know Your History

READ: JOB 8:8-10; ROMANS 3:21-26; 15:4; 1 CORINTHIANS 10:6-12

When I visited Gettysburg for the first time, my imagination whirred to life. I wanted to know the people who fought there. I wanted to hear their stories, to comprehend their politics, to peek in at their way of life. Because the events that happened on that field directly impact the world I live in now. By understanding the past, I can better understand today.

The same can be said of the many events recorded in the Bible. God’s Word isn’t a collection of disjointed stories. It’s composed around a framework of history. So, by looking at biblical chronology (what happened when in the Bible), we are able to place those stories in context, gain a logical understanding of sequence, and better see the full scope of God’s loving plan.

Here are some broad historical markers and dates to help you begin lashing individual stories into a sequential history. Not just the narratives, but also the prophets, books of poetry, books of law, and epistles all hang within this outline:

• Creation, the Flood, and earliest history: Genesis

• Patriarchs of the Israelite people (2000–1550 BC): Genesis

• Formation of the Israelite nation (1550–1380 BC): Exodus–Joshua

• Leaders of Israel up to the Exile (1380–539 BC): Judges–2 Chronicles

• Return from the Exile (539–474 BC): Ezra–Esther

• 400 years of silence

• Birth of Christ and the early church (AD 5–90): New Testament

When we use this framework as a general guide, we’ll notice right away that the Israelite people figure prominently within the story He tells. That’s because He used that particular family line to reach the climax of the Bible (and of history)—the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Through Jesus, people from every tribe and language and nation can know God (Revelation 7:9)!

The next time you read from a particular book of the Bible, consider finding out who wrote it and when. Then fit it into this rough history. You’ll soon find random stories fitting together in a comprehensive whole—one redemption story centered on Jesus, the one who came to save us from sin and death and who promises to make all things new. • Michelle Isenhoff

• Why can we view Jesus as the focal point of history? (Find out more on our "Know Jesus" page.)

“All the prophets testify about him [Jesus] that through his name everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins.” Acts 10:43 (CSB)