The Bible Project

We believe the Bible is one unified story that leads to Jesus and has wisdom for the modern world.

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Read Scripture Week 19

This week, you will be reading the first four of the twelve Minor Prophets, two of which we have decided to explore deeper in this week's blog.

Hosea - Hosea was a prophet to northern Israel and its king, Jeroboam II, about 200 years after the national split. This is a complex book full of poetic language and allegory, namely of Hosea and the relationship with his “wife of the night,” Gomer. The book focuses on Israel’s idolatry (as prostitution), their coming judgement through Assyria, but also God’s undying love and covenant faithfulness to all his people, now and in the future. Joel - Unlike Hosea, Joel has no clear historical place or time, but it was likely in the post-exilic period. Joel does not go after any one of Israel’s particular sins, but focuses on the Day of the Lord, both in the past and future. He also points to God’s self-declared covenant faithfulness, which creates hope and is described as a picturesque future. Amos - Amos was a prophet from southern Judah who was sent to northern Israel about 150 years after the national split. He focuses on the rampant social injustice throughout all the nations, but most specifically (and intensely) of Israel’s. Israel was called by God, and had virtually no excuse for its behavior; Amos exposes this all and announces the Day of the Lord, which is coming for Israel. Obadiah - This is the shortest prophetic book, and by extension, the shortest book in the Old Testament. Obadiah was a prophet to Judah’s neighbor, Edom. However, like many prophetic books, this is allegorical in that it is pointing to the Day of the Lord, not just against Edom, but against all prideful nations. Obadiah also preaches that God will bring restoration and renewal to all those who repent and turn back to Him.

P.S. Want to dive deeper? Start with our blog on Biblical Theology. This week, we take a look at Hosea & Amos: Two Sides of Covenant Failure.

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You can also sign-up for our weekly Read Scripture E-mail at thebibleproject.com, or download the app at readscripture.org

Watch Read Scripture: Hosea

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Read Scripture Week 18

This week, we are exploring most of the second half of Isaiah, chs. 44-66. We drop into the middle of a trial God is holding to demonstrate that the Israelite’s were not transformed by the exile, and that their hearts remain hard as ever (see ch. 48).

The next section of Isaiah (chs. 49-55), is crucially important for understanding Jesus and how the apostles talked about him as the suffering messianic King. In Isaiah 49-55, we see a king who is a faithful representative of Israel and will become a blessing to all the nations by establishing God’s kingdom over all the earth. However, this servant would accomplish all this by dying as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of his people.

After his death and exaltation, God forces his people to make a choice: those who are humble can repent and receive God’s kingdom from the suffering servant, or they can harden their hearts and refuse to participate. Isaiah 56-66 paints a portrait of what the new creation of God’s kingdom is like, and challenge God’s people to hope and pray for that day.

P.S. Want to dive deeper? Start with our blog on Biblical Theology. This week, we take a look at Isaiah and the Suffering Servant King

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You can also sign-up for our weekly Read Scripture E-mail at thebibleproject.com, or download the app at readscripture.org

Watch: Gospel of the Kingdom

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Read Scripture Week 17

Last week was a big week in the reading plan. The watershed moment for the Hebrew people came to pass as Jerusalem was destroyed and hauled off into exile at the end of 2 Kings. However, the biblical story didn’t end there.

You also read Isaiah 1-17, which exposed you to the first prophetic literature expressed through, mostly, poetry. Isaiah 1-12 told us about the judgment that was brought against Israel some 150 years earlier with their northern neighbor, Assyria; it provides us with hope in a holy seed that might grow from the remnants of the nation and its leader in the future. Chapters 13-17 are a poetic reflection on God’s justice and indictment against not just Assyria, but Babylon and all of Israel’s corrupt neighbors.

The whole region was in rebellion against God. This week, chapters 18-24 will continue this poetic reflection, while the rest of the week’s readings will turn attention back to Jerusalem and its own downfall.

P.S. Want to dive deeper? Start with our blog on Biblical Theology. This week, we take a look at Isaiah and the Messianic King

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You can also sign-up for our weekly Read Scripture E-mail at thebibleproject.com, or download the app at readscripture.org

Watch Read Scripture: Isaiah Part 1

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Read Scripture Week 16

As you finish up the book of 1-2 Kings, we hope that the increasingly important role of Israel’s prophets has started to make sense to you. They warned that Israel was on the precipice of a major judgment by Yahweh. Their big, mean, northern neighbor was coming to take out the northern Israelite tribes. And they were right.

As you read the final chapters of 2 Kings, you’ll discover that Jerusalem suffered a similar fate when it was taken out by the Babylonians. And then the book ends. This was a watershed moment in Israel’s history and in the story of the Bible. Israel’s existence as they knew it, a national kingdom with its own rulers, on its own land with their temple. All of it will go away. The Hebrew Bible itself began to take the shape it has today in the wake of these events.

Even though this event comes in the middle of the biblical drama, its ripple effect reaches backwards and forwards. The exile to Babylon was one of the most formative events in biblical history. And so, in the order of the reading plan, we follow the ancient Jewish ordering of the Bible, which places the book of Isaiah after 1-2 Kings. Only the prophetic hope of Isaiah could turn this tragic story back into one of hope.

P.S. Want to dive deeper? Check out our blog on biblical theology. This week we explore Jerusalem Has Fallen: Despair & Hope.

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You can also sign-up for our weekly Read Scripture E-mail at thebibleproject.com, or download the app at readscripture.org

Watch Read Scripture: 1+2 Kings

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Read Scripture Week 15

If this is your first time in the books of 1 and 2 Kings, you were probably surprised to read about “wise” Solomon’s role in the eventual splitting of the Israelite tribal kingdoms. This rift between southern Judah and northern Israel (sometimes referred to “Samaria”) can help you understand why Jesus’ parable about the “good Samaritan” was so provocative; Samaritans would continue to grow into the archenemies of the Judeans living around Jerusalem.As you read through this section of Kings, don’t forget this is a prophetic view of history, not a historical chronicle in the modern sense. It’s an interpretation of Israel’s history by the prophets, which is why it focuses so much on the wayward kings and the prophets God sent to get them back on track. In fact, this week’s blog further explores the interplay between kings and prophets.P.S. Dive in further with our weekly blog on Biblical Theology. This week, we explore the role of the prophets in Kings vs. Prophets.

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You can also sign-up for our weekly Read Scripture E-mail at thebibleproject.com, or download the app at readscripture.org

Watch Read Scripture: 1+2 Kings

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Read Scripture Week 14

This week, a little hopelessness might be creeping in as we near the end of King David’s reign, as it hasn’t ended up that different from Saul’s. David set into motion a series of events that has all but destroyed his family, and certainly destroyed him. While he may have found his way back on the throne, he is not the same David we saw at the opening of 2 Samuel. The epilogue to this story provides several stories that are out of chronological order, but are important to pay attention to (ch. 21-24). David gives a solemn, yet poetic, rumination on the events of 1 and 2 Samuel, which should inspire confidence that God is at work despite arrogant and prideful humans who may interfere in his plan. Most importantly, this reflects that God will come through on his promise to bring a messianic King who will deliver in the ways Saul & King David failed to. You’ll see David hold on into the beginning of 1 Kings as he gives his son, Solomon, parting advice before passing away (1 Kings ch. 1). That advice, you’ll find out by reading the first movement in Kings, only partially sinks in. P.S. Want to dive deeper? Start with our blog on Biblical Theology. This week, we take a look at Solomon: Love Him or Hate Him?

You can also sign-up for our weekly Read Scripture E-mail at thebibleproject.com, or download the app at readscripture.org

Watch Read Scripture: 1+2 Kings

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Read Scripture Week 13

This week, after witnessing the end of Saul’s reign, you will see King David finally enthroned as the first king of a truly unified Israel (albeit he has been the rightful king under persecution since Samuel anointed him in ch. 16). You will see King David coalesce the kingdom of Israel around their new political and spiritual center of the country, Jerusalem (which he calls Zion).

You’ll also bear witness to one of the most important stories in the entire Bible, the establishment of the Davidic Covenant between God and King David (ch. 7). However, as you are riding the highs from the first half of this book, you’ll see a turn in King David, as well as in the book of 2 Samuel. King David gives into temptation and sleeps with Bathsheba (ch. 11), which sets into motion a series of events that bring his kingdom to a grinding halt and destroys his family.

Next week, we will end with a series of poetic reflections by David on the whole storyline of Samuel, and begin with his son, Solomon, the new King of Israel.

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You can also sign-up for our weekly Read Scripture E-mail at thebibleproject.com, or download the app at readscripture.org

Watch Read Scripture: 2 Samuel

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Read Scripture Week 12

1 Samuel begins with two historical events that coincide with one another and set the stage for what will be the backdrop of the first half of this book: the Philistines’ rise to power as Israel’s arch enemy, and Samuel’s rise as the leading prophet in the tenuously connected “kingdom” of Israel.

The people of Israel demand a king, which is not in and of itself a bad request. However, God knows the true motivations of the heart, and at the center of this request is a desire to “be like all the other nations.” And this is what gets them into trouble, because it’s a sign they’ve stopped acknowledging God as their true king. Nonetheless, Yahweh honors this request and gives them a leader, Saul. We quickly discover that he has deep character flaws, providing a contrast to David, who is the first embodiment of what a humble and obedient king should be (see 1 Sam 16-17).

The rest of 1 Samuel tracks Saul’s slow descent into selfish insanity as he eventually reaches a point of no return. 1 Samuel concludes with the death of Saul and sets the stage for David’s enthronement and reign in 2 Samuel.

Warning: You might start to feel sorry for Saul around chapters 13-15, and that's the author’s intention.

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You can also sign-up for our weekly Read Scripture E-mail at thebibleproject.com, or download the app at readscripture.org

Watch Read Scripture: 1 Samuel

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Read Scripture Week 11

For those who only know the story of Samson from children’s Bible stories, the real story comes as a shock. The bumbling but heroic strongman bears little resemblance to the arrogant, violent, and sex-crazed Samson we meet in the Book of Judges. And he’s just one among a larger cast of morally ambiguous characters in Judges. Their stories are not told so you can aspire to become a thug like Jephthah or an assassin like Ehud.

They are part of a large narrative arc in the Book that shows how the Israelites become progressively more and more “Canaan-ized” and less and less Israelite. The Book of Judges is designed intentionally to show you that God is still at work even when he doesn’t have much to work with. And by the time you get to Judges’ Chapters 17 – 21, you’ll hit bottom. These stories are really disturbing because they expose the dark underbelly of pain and violence caused by the human condition. The only glimmer of hope you’ll find is in the following Book, Ruth, which ignites the promise of a future messianic king from the line of David.

Warning: You might consider praying before you begin the Book of Judges, especially chapters 18-21.

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You can also sign-up for our weekly Read Scripture E-mail at thebibleproject.com, or download the app at readscripture.org

Watch Read Scripture: Judges

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Read Scripture Week 10

This week, you’ll read through Joshua, which has three major movements followed by a short conclusion. The first five chapters of the book recount how Israel crossed the Jordan River; this should remind you (as it certainly reminded the Israelites) of how God parted the sea during the Exodus. Prepare yourself (read the blog and watch the Read Scripture video on Joshua) as you dive into chapters 6-12, which condense decades of battles between the Israelites and the Canaanites into a few short accounts. For the most part, Israel is totally passive, watching God win their battles. In the next movement, we watch an aged Joshua divide up the land and apportion it to the twelve tribes of Israel (chs. 13-22). The book concludes with Joshua warning the people against breaking their covenant with God. His words deliberately echo the final words of Moses himself to the next generation that Joshua now leads. Finally, you will open the book of Judges, but we will cover more of this disturbing book next week. Pay Special Attention: Joshua 5:13-15 depicts a fascinating angle on God's relationship with the Israelites.

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You can also sign-up for our weekly Read Scripture E-mail at thebibleproject.com, or download the app at readscripture.org

Watch Read Scripture: Joshua

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Read Scripture Week 9

This week we will listen to Moses teach and develop the laws, ordinances, and commands for those who are poised to enter the Promised Land, the new generation. This is also the section where Deuteronomy gets its name, “Deuteronomion,” Greek for “second-law.” At Mt. Sinai, Moses received the Ten Commandments and then delivered many other laws to Israel. Here, on the edge of the Promised Land, Moses expands and clarifies many of these earlier laws about worship procedures, tithing, leadership structure, and social justice, among others. Near the end of the book, he reminds this generation of the blessings they will receive if they keep these laws, and the curse that will befall them if they do not. But after forty years, Moses knows the people of Israel people intimately, and he predicts that they’re going to be unfaithful as they enter into the Promised Land and break the covenant just like their ancestors. He locates the root of the problem with Israel’s stubborn and rebellious hearts. In their core, they actually don’t want to trust God. So, Moses’ grave prediction is at the same time a cry for divine help. Moses has hope that God is going to transform the hearts of his people so that they can love God with all their heart, soul, and strength. The Torah concludes by showing that God’s own covenant faithfulness is Israel’s only hope.

Spoiler Alert: Moses dies in Deuteronomy 34:5

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Watch The Law Theme Video

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Read Scripture Week 8

In this week’s reading, we see the torch of Israel being passed from one generation to the next before they enter the Promised Land (remember the verdict God handed down to the rebellious generation in Num. 14). This is done, most symbolically, in the leadership of the Israelites being handed from Moses to Joshua. This new generation, with Joshua at the helm, tastes their first victories in battles with regional city-states on the east side of the Jordan River, an area called Moab.

However, Moses’ role is not yet done. You will also open the book of Deuteronomy this week, which is a collection of teachings by Moses that adapts the laws given at Mt. Sinai. He reshapes the covenant laws to address this new generation about to go into the Promised Land. His wise words provide inspiring promises to the Israelites if they keep the covenant laws, and he offers sobering warnings of what will happen if they do not.

Pay Special Attention: Deuteronomy 6:4-5, commonly called “the Shema,” became a prayer in Jewish tradition that was uttered twice a day. This practice continues on today, thousands of years later.

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You can also sign-up for our weekly Read Scripture E-mail at thebibleproject.com, or download the app at readscripture.org

Watch Torah Series: Deuteronomy

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Read Scripture Week 7

Your reading for this week will take you into the heart of the book of Numbers. Israel spent one year camped out at the foot of Mt. Sinai (they arrived there in Exodus ch.19). Here Moses received the instructions about building the tabernacle (Exodus 25-31, 35-40), and then the sacrificial system was outlined and inaugurated (Leviticus 1-10). Now that Israel has a working tabernacle, the tribes are organized and prepared for leaving the mountain (Numbers 1-10). Our hopes are high, as the family of Abraham sets out for the Promised Land. The debacle of the golden calf (Exodus 32-34) still casts a shadow over the past, but we’re rooting for Israel. Surely they’ll be faithful to their God as they venture into the wilderness…

Say what moment? A pagan sorcerer has conversation with a talking donkey in Numbers 22:28

P.S. Want to dive deeper? Check out our blog on biblical theology. This week we explore Israel's Wilderness Rebellion Narratives.

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You can also sign-up for our weekly Read Scripture E-mail at thebibleproject.com, or download the app at readscripture.org

Watch Torah Series: Numbers

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Read Scripture Week 6!

You’ll likely find the second half of Leviticus less weird. You’ll read about all the different festivals Israel was to observe as a reminder of what God has done in their lives, as well as moral purity laws that are intended to set Israel and its priests apart from surrounding nations. Keep in mind, even though these laws aren’t as bloody as the sacrificial rituals, they are still exploring the same core ideas that you find in the first half of Leviticus. 

Chapters 1-16 lay out the rituals and symbols of God’s love and forgiveness for sin and defilement, while chapters 17-27 explore the new way of life the Israelites are to embrace (either turning away from sin, or avoiding it in the first place). These laws call Israel to a high degree of moral purity and social justice that were major steps forward in comparison to their Canaanite neighbors. As we jump into Numbers, we will begin with a great census as the Israelites mobilize for movement out from the shadow of Mt. Sinai.

Spoiler Alert: If you thought law-making was done with Leviticus, think again. We pick back up in the book of Numbers!

P.S. Want to dive deeper? Check out our blog on biblical theology. This week we explore Old Rituals & New Realities.

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Watch the Torah Series: Leviticus and download the Poster (Mark it up as you read!)

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Read Scripture Week 5!

This week we will be opening the book of Leviticus, a beautifully designed and fundamental book to understanding God’s relationship with his people. However, this book is sadly misunderstood because of its cultural distance from most modern readers. One helpful way to grasp the meaning of Leviticus is to see that the book has a really interesting symmetrical design that explores three primary ways in which the corrupt Israelites can live near their Holy God without fear.

This week’s reading will focus on the first half, which explores the ways in which Israel is to practice ritual sacrifice, the priesthood, and ritual purity. You’ll conclude this week with a really important annual feast, the Day of Atonement, which is what next’s weeks blog will be all about.

Be on the lookout: How many different types of offerings can you count? Keep in mind, they are all important as we read further.

P.S. Want to dive deeper? Check out our blog on biblical theology. This week we explore...Animal Sacrifice? Really?

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Watch Read Scripture: Leviticus and download the Poster (Mark it up as you read!)

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Read Scripture 2017 Week Four!

We begin our journey on the far side of the Red Sea with the nation of Israel. The menacing Pharaoh has been drowned in the Red Sea, where human evil and rebellion perished with him… or so we hoped. Exodus 16-18 is a dark foreshadowing of the Israelites’ own rebellious nature that will play a tragic role in the rest of Exodus and beyond.

The story continues as the Israelites come to the base of Mt. Sinai. Here God enters into a covenant relationship with all the Israelites, which is connected to the same covenant promises he made Abraham long ago. This covenant, however, has very clear terms, lots of them. Moses must climb Mt. Sinai to receive these terms from God, and they become the foundation of “the law” for Israel. Pay attention, a lot of really important things happen in this section (Exodus 19-34).

You might be tempted to breeze through some of this, but stay focused. This section is foundational for understanding the rest of the Old Testament. Here Moses receives the Ten Commandments, the first articles of Israelite law, and the instructions for the Tabernacle. Also in this section, is Israels first great rebellion, as they manufacture and worship a golden calf (thereby breaking the first two terms of the covenant!). This story is already going downhill once again. However, God forgives the people, renews the covenant, and allows Moses to return and intervene. The book of Exodus concludes with the Israelites getting to work on building this sacred tent where God’s presence will take up residence during their future journeys.

Video Tie-in: See how the role of Wisdom (Proverbs video) ties into the role of the Holy-Spirit (video coming soon) introduced in Exodus 31.

P.S. If you want to explore deeper, start with our weekly blog on Biblical Theology. This week, we talk about Biblical Storytelling Techniques.

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You can also sign-up for our weekly Read Scripture E-mail at thebibleproject.com, or download the app at readscripture.org

Watch the Read Scripture Exodus 19-40 to orient yourself to the first half of Exodus.

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Read Scripture 2017 Week Three!

This week, we will reach the closing pages of Genesis, so it’s a perfect moment to reflect back on what this foundational book was all about. The stories in Genesis lay the groundwork and even foreshadow everything else that’s coming in the biblical narrative. God has a plan to rescue and bless his rebellious world through this family and its descendants, somehow. In this week's readings, pay particular attention to Genesis ch. 50 and the conversation between Joseph and his brothers after their father Jacob (Israel) dies. There are meaningful themes developed here that will be important to remember as you open up the following epic book of Exodus. Fun fact: Abraham dreams of all that is to take place between the end of Genesis and through Exodus in Genesis 15:13-16. P.S. If you want to explore deeper, start with our weekly blog on Biblical Theology. This week, we talk about Biblical Storytelling Techniques.

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You can also sign-up for our weekly Read Scripture E-mail at thebibleproject.com, or download the app at readscripture.org

Watch the Read Scripture Exodus 1-18 to orient yourself to the first half of Exodus.