Bible Foundations · Old Testament overview
Old Testament Overview
10 minute readbeginner
A single walk through the storyline of the Old Testament, from creation to the return from exile.
By the end of this lesson
Retell the storyline of the Old Testament in order and place any Old Testament book roughly within it.
Passages to read first
- Genesis 12:1-3
- Exodus 19:4-6
- Isaiah 40:1-5
Historical context
The Old Testament covers events from the ancient Near East across roughly two millennia, ending several centuries before the birth of Jesus. Israel lived among far larger empires — Egypt, Assyria, Babylon and Persia — and much of the Old Testament is written under the pressure of those powers.
The lesson
The Old Testament tells one connected story in five movements.
Creation and fracture. God makes a good world and human beings in his image. Genesis 3-11 traces how sin fractures every relationship: with God, with each other, and with the ground itself.
Promise. God calls Abraham and promises land, descendants and blessing that will reach all nations (Genesis 12:1-3). Genesis follows that promise through Isaac, Jacob and Joseph into Egypt.
Rescue and covenant. God brings Israel out of slavery in the exodus, gives the law at Sinai, and forms a people meant to display his character to the nations. Leviticus through Deuteronomy set out how they are to live.
Land and kingdom. Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings trace the settlement of Canaan, the demand for a king, David's reign, Solomon's temple, and the slow decline of a divided kingdom.
Exile and return. The prophets warn, plead and promise. Assyria takes the north and Babylon the south. Ezra, Nehemiah and the post-exilic prophets describe a diminished return, a rebuilt temple, and a people still waiting for the fuller rescue the prophets described.
The Old Testament ends unfinished on purpose. It leaves a promise open.
People
Abraham · Moses · David · Isaiah · Ezra
Places
Ur · Egypt · Mount Sinai · Canaan · Babylon
Reflection questions
- Which of the five movements is most familiar to you? Which is least?
- Why might God's promise to Abraham matter to people who are not his descendants?
- How does knowing the Old Testament ends unfinished change how you read it?
Put it into practice
Read Genesis 12:1-3 and Jeremiah 31:31-34 side by side and write two sentences on how the promise develops.
Cross references
- Deuteronomy 6:4-9
- 2 Samuel 7:12-16
- Jeremiah 31:31-34
Key takeaway
The Old Testament is one story of promise, rescue, covenant and exile — deliberately left open.
Knowledge check
2 questions. Nothing is graded against you — this is just to see what stuck.
1. What does God promise Abraham in Genesis 12?
2. Which empire took the southern kingdom into exile?
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