This video breaks down the literary design of the entire Old Testament and its flow of thought.

In Exodus, God rescues the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and confronts the evil and injustice of Pharaoh.

In Numbers, Israel travels through the wilderness on the way to the land promised to Abraham. Their repeated rebellion is met by God’s justice and mercy.

In Judges, the Israelites turn away from God and face the consequences. God raises judges in cycles of rebellion, repentance, and restoration.

In Kings, David’s son Solomon leads Israel to greatness, only to fail and lead Israel to a civil war and ultimately towards destruction and exile.

Jeremiah announces that God will judge Israel’s sins with an exile to Babylon. And then, he lives through the horror of his predictions.

In this book, Hosea accuses Israel of breaking their covenant with God and warns them of the tragic consequences to follow.

Obadiah announces Edom's downfall to Babylon, which is an image of how God will bring down all arrogant and violent nations.

In this book, Nahum portrays the downfall of Nineveh and Assyria as an image of how God will confront and bring down all violent human empires.

In this book, Haggai challenges Israel after the exile to remain faithful to their God and rebuild the temple.

The book of Psalms has been designed to be the prayer book of God's people as they wait for the Messiah and his coming kingdom.

The Song of Songs is a collection of ancient Israelite love poems that celebrate the beauty and power of God's gift of love and sexual desire.

This book forces us to face death and random chance, and the challenges they pose to a naive belief in God’s goodness.

In these books, many Israelites return to Jerusalem after the exile and face some success alongside many spiritual and moral failures.

In Genesis, God makes a good world and commissions humans to rule it, and then they give in to evil and ruin everything.

In Exodus, God invites the Israelites into a covenant and comes to live among them in the Tabernacle, but Israel rebels and ruins the relationship.

In Deuteronomy, Moses gives final words of wisdom and warning before the Israelites enter the promised land, challenging them to be faithful to God.

In 1 Samuel, God reluctantly raises up kings to rule the Israelites. The first is a failure, and the second, David, is a faithful replacement.

Isaiah announces that God’s judgment will purify Israel and prepare his people for the coming messianic king and the new Jerusalem.

Among the exiles in Babylon, Ezekiel shows that Israel deserved this judgment, and also that God’s justice creates hope for the future.

Joel reflects on the "Day of the Lord" and how true repentance will bring about the great restoration hoped for in the other prophetic books.

The book of Jonah is a subversive story about a rebellious prophet who despises his God for loving his enemies.

In this book, Habakkuk struggles to understand God's goodness in the midst of such evil and injustice in the world.

In this book, Zechariah's visions foster hope in the future promise of the messianic kingdom and challenge Israel after the exile to remain faithful to God.

The book of Proverbs invites people to live with wisdom and in the fear of the Lord in order to experience the good life.

In Ruth, an Israelite family faces tragic loss, and God uses the faithfulness of a non-Israelite woman to bring restoration into the family of David.

In Esther, God providentially uses two exiled Israelites to rescue His people from certain doom, without any explicit mention of God or His activity.

Chronicles retells the entire Old Testament story, highlighting the future hope of the messianic king and a restored temple.

In Genesis, God promises to bless rebellious humanity through the family of Abraham, despite their constant failure and folly.

In Leviticus, Israel’s holy God invites them to live in His presence despite their sin, through a series of rituals and sacred institutions.

In Joshua, after Moses' death, Joshua leads Israel and they settle in the promised land currently occupied by Canaanites.

In 2 Samuel, David becomes God's most faithful king, but then rebels, resulting in the slow destruction of his family and kingdom.

Isaiah announces that God’s judgment will purify Israel and prepare his people for the coming messianic king and the new Jerusalem.

Among the exiles in Babylon, Ezekiel shows that Israel deserved this judgment, and also that God’s justice creates hope for the future.

In this book, Amos accuses Israel of breaking their covenant with God and highlights how their idolatry has led to injustice and the neglect of the poor.

In this book, Micah announces that God's justice is coming in order to create a new future of love and faithfulness on the other side of Israel's sin and exile.

In this book, Zephaniah announces God’s purifying judgment on Israel. It will remove evil and open up a new future where all people can flourish in peace.

In this book, Malachi accuses Israel of selfishness after the exile and announces that the day of the Lord will purify Israel and prepare them for God's kingdom.

Job explores the difficult question of God's relationship to human suffering and invites us to trust God's wisdom and character.

The book itself is a collection of five funeral poems offered on behalf of Jerusalem after its destruction by Babylon.

The story of Daniel motivates faithfulness despite exile in Babylon. His visions offer hope that God will bring all nations under His rule.