Growing up as a Christian, it was always my dream to read the entire Bible. But it seemed like a daunting task because it’s a huge book. There are 66 books in the Bible and some books have a lot of chapters.
There were many years when I would decide to read the Bible through in a year. I would start reading Genesis on January 1 and then somewhere along the line, I would become discouraged by the volume of the entire book.
I kept wondering “When will I ever finish reading the entire Bible?”
Looking back, I realize that I was too focused on the size of the book instead of just reading to have a better understanding of God and His will. As a result, I didn’t have the motivation to keep going.
What Motivated Me To Start Reading the Bible Consistently?
Then one day when I was in university and I was really stressed because of all the overwhelming number of tasks on my to-do list, I received a message from a lady at my home church.
She knew I was studying in a foreign country and she wanted to know how I was doing. I told her that I wasn’t doing so well and I explained that I had a lot to do.
She encouraged me to spend quiet time with God daily even though my days were packed. I decided to take her advice and that’s when I decided to start reading the Bible everyday.
I realized that as a Christian, I don’t know everything that is written in the Bible, the book that is supposed to guide the Christian faith.
How can I say I believe the Bible but I don’t know what’s written in it?
What I Did Differently This Time?
I remembered that I tried to read the Old Testament multiple times in the past but failed.
So I decided to start with the New Testament this time because it seemed more interesting to me.
I was already somewhat familiar with the first 6 books (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts and Romans). But I didn’t know what 1 & 2 Corinthians were about so I started there.
I read one chapter a day, made some notes and prayed. I was learning so much and my relationship with God was getting better. So I continued reading the rest of the New Testament.
I Made Progress
Then I noticed that I was making progress.
I didn’t have a timeline to finish reading the Bible, I was just reading to have a better understanding of God, His plan of salvation and what He requires of us. And I started to look forward to reading the Bible.
I didn’t have to force myself anymore because it was now a habit to start my day with reading the Word. I slowly increased the number of chapters I read each day and before I knew it, I completed the entire Bible. It took me about 14 months to read the entire Bible.
Then I decided to do it again. But this time I read the Bible chronologically. And I read the Amplified Study Bible (AMP) instead of the New International Version (NIV).
So I read the entire Bible twice and I definitely learned a lot. Here are some lessons I learned after reading the entire Bible.
What Did I Learn From Reading The Entire Bible?
1) The Bible was not written chronologically
The books of the Bible are arranged based on their subject matter and this is often referred to as the canonical order.
As a result the Bible is not arranged chronologically which means that it is not arranged in the order in which the events occurred.
The Old Testament contains 39 books and it is canonically arranged in this order:
- The Law (Genesis – Deuteronomy)
- Historical books (Joshua -Esther)
- Poetry (Job- Songs of Solomon)
- Major Prophets (Isaiah-Daniel)
- Minor Prophets (Hosea-Malachi)
The New Testament contains 27 books and it is canonically arranged in the following order:
- The Gospels (Matthew-John)
- Historical book (Acts)
- The Letters (Romans – Jude)
- The Book of Vision (Revelation)
If you read the Bible as it is written, you will realize that you’re reading the same stories in different books.
Examples
For example, some of the accounts of historical events recorded in 1 Kings are also in 2 Chronicles. If you read it in the canonical order, you may get confused because you may think that the same event happened twice.
But that’s not the case. It’s just that there are two different records of the same event. When you read the Bible chronologically, it will be much easier to realize that it’s the same event but different authors.
This is more evident in the New Testament because the first four books (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) are focused on the life of Jesus Christ. Therefore, you will read the same accounts in some of the books because all four authors are writing about the same person….Jesus!
However, some authors are more detailed in their accounts. Hence reading it chronologically will help you to compare their accounts and get additional details which will help you to understand the context more.
Shocking Example
One of the most shocking things that I discovered while reading the Bible chronologically is that Ezra and Nehemiah should be the last two books that you read in the Old Testament. However, in the canonical order, they are placed 15th and 16th respectively out of the 39 books.
Ezra and Nehemiah cover the events that happened after the destruction of the first temple and the Babylonian captivity.
Consequently, they will only make sense after reading about the prophetic warnings of judgment, the destruction of the temple and the Babylonian captivity.
These events are captured in the books that come after Ezra and Nehemiah if you follow the canonical order.
If you want to read the Bible chronologically, here is a link to a Chronological Bible Reading Plan taken from Bible Study Tools website.
2) The Bible is about reconciliation of God and man
As I read the Bible, I realized that the common theme throughout Scripture is reconciliation.
Reconciliation is just a fancy word for restoration of friendly relations.
The Bible starts off by showing us that God created human beings and He wanted to have fellowship with us. But man disobeyed God and when that happened, sin entered the world and with sin came spiritual death.
The Bible tells us that the penalty for sin is death. But this is a spiritual death so we will be eternally separated from God who is our Creator and the very source of our life.
The rest of the Bible shows us how God has been successfully executing His plan for us to be restored to Him so we can have a close relationship with Him again.
The Bible tells us that the only way to cancel the penalty of sin is that blood has to be shed. But the blood has to be the blood of one who is perfect or sinless.
Only God is sinless so only God’s blood can cancel the penalty of sin which is death (eternal separation from God).
So God sent His Son, Jesus Christ in the form of a human being to shed His blood so the penalty of sin could be canceled. He then gives the gift of eternal life to everyone who believes that Jesus Christ died for their sins.
Breakdown of the Bible
The stories from Genesis to Malachi show the events and generations leading up to the birth of Jesus Christ. While the stories from St. Matthew to St. John show the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, the Promised Saviour.
The books from Acts to Jude show the spread of the gospel and teachings of Christianity.
The Bible ends with Revelation which gives a vision of what total reconciliation to God will look like in a world without the consequences of sin.
Recommended Blog Post: My Salvation Story – From Legalism to Liberty
3) God the Father is patient and merciful
When I was younger, I often got the impression that God the Father is a tyrant waiting for you to mess up so He can execute judgment. And I thought Jesus (God the Son) was the patient and merciful One.
But reading through the Old Testament made me realize that God the Father is patient and merciful.
God had repeatedly told the Israelites that they should not worship idols and if they did, there would be consequences. They disobeyed Him repeatedly even though He sent many prophets to warn them.
God warned them for over 40 years yet they did not repent. As a result, they were judged for their sins and taken into Babylonian captivity. This story made me realize that God was very patient with the Israelites.
4) The prophecies about Jesus in the Old Testament were accurate
The prophets in the Old Testament spoke about Jesus, the Promised Savior several decades before His birth. Their prophecies were fulfilled in the New Testament.
For example, Isaiah prophesied that He would be born of a virgin and this was fulfilled and recorded in St. Luke.
The Scripture also noted that He would be born in Bethlehem and the fulfillment is seen in the New Testament (Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:1)
David noted that none of His bones would be broken and the fulfillment of this is recorded in St. John (Psalm 34:20; St. John 19:36).
5) Reading the entire Bible helps you to see the big picture but you also need to study the Bible
When you read the Bible chronologically, it will make more sense to you. You will realize that it is really one story that has been divided into several books and chapters.
You will also have more context and a greater understanding of several things. For example, you will realize that shedding the blood of a lamb as atonement for sin was really foreshadowing the shedding of Jesus’ blood for the forgiveness of sin so we can be reconciled unto God.
After reading the entire Bible, I had a much better understanding of the overall theme and message of the Scriptures. Reading multiple chapters of the Bible at a time really helped me to put things into context and to see the big picture.
But I realized that studying the Word is necessary for application and transformation. There are so many other lessons and details that are only revealed when I take the time to study the Word and meditate on it.
I have noticed that it’s also much easier to remember what I studied than what I read. So I highly recommend that you study the Bible as well.
Recommended Video: SOAP Method Bible Study
6) The Bible is a record of historical events that actually happened
A lot of times we think about the Bible as a religious book or the Holy Book that guides the Christian faith. It is often seen as a guide that outlines how we ought to live. Some people even say the Bible is Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.
B- basic
I – instructions
B- before
L- leaving
E – earth
It is true that the Bible helps us to know what God requires of us and it does provide several instructions for Godly living.
But the Bible is more than that. It is an accurate record of historical events that actually happened.
It captures encounters that real human beings had with God that reveal His power and character. In other words, the Bible is a record of various ways that God has revealed Himself to humanity.
As you read the various accounts and experiences, your faith in God will be strengthened.
7) God is intentional and He is directing our lives
One thing that stood out to me while reading the Bible is that God is intentional. He is carefully directing and ordering our steps. He has a plan for each of our lives and He is carefully executing it.
God knows what He is doing and His timing is perfect because He has the blueprint. Sometimes we think that certain things should happen at a certain time in a certain way. But we don’t have the blueprint so we can’t see how everything fits together.
The story of Mary and Elizabeth captures this perfectly. Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist may have been wondering why she couldn’t have any children in her younger years, her fertile years.
She and her husband were very old and they probably had given up hope that they would ever have biological children.
The Bible tells us that they were righteous in the sight of God and they observed the Lord’s commands blamelessly. So why couldn’t they have any children?
Well, more than likely it’s because it was not God’s timing. God wanted their child to be the forerunner of Jesus. So John needed to be born around the same time as Jesus. John’s purpose is captured in Luke 1:17.
But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.
He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
(Luke 1:13-17 NIV)
If John had been born in Elizabeth’s younger years, it would be too early because Jesus would not have been around as yet.
God wanted Mary and Elizabeth to be pregnant around the same time so the divine purpose could be fulfilled.
In addition, both births were miraculous which signify that God was at work to fulfill His divine plan.
I hope this insight will encourage you. Keep praying and keep trusting God even when things don’t seem to be falling in place the way you planned. Remember God is intentional and He is directing your life.
8) The whole Bible points to Jesus Christ
The whole Bible points to Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Reference is made to a Savior from as early as Genesis 3:15 and it continues throughout Scripture all the way to Revelation, the final book in the canonically arranged Bible.
This point is connected to the fact that the central theme of the Bible is reconciliation. God wants to have a relationship with us. And Jesus Christ is the bridge that connects us to our Creator. The Bible shows how God has been executing that plan for reconciliation.
In each book of the Bible, we can see Jesus.
OLD TESTAMENT
| Genesis | The Seed of the Woman |
| Exodus | The Passover Lamb |
| Leviticus | The High Priest |
| Numbers | The Cloud and The Fire |
| Deuteronomy | The Prophet Like Moses |
| Joshua | The Captain of Our Salvation |
| Judges | The Judge And Lawgiver |
| Ruth | The Kinsman Redeemer |
| 1 & 2 Samuel | The Prophet of The Lord |
| 1 & 2 Kings | The Reigning King |
| 1 & 2 Chronicles | The Glorious Temple |
| Ezra | The Faithful Scribe |
| Nehemiah | The Rebuilder of the Walls |
| Esther | Mordecai |
| Job | The Dayspring From on High |
| Psalms | The Lord Who Is Our Shepherd |
| Proverbs & Ecclesiastes | The Wisdom of God |
| Song of Solomon | The Lover & Bridegroom |
| Isaiah | The Suffering Servant |
| Jeremiah & Lamentations | The Weeping Prophet |
| Ezekiel | The Son of Man |
| Daniel | The Son of Man coming in the clouds of Heaven |
| Hosea | The Bridegroom |
| Joel | The Baptizer With The Holy Spirit |
| Amos | The Burden Bearer |
| Obadiah | The Mighty Savior |
| Jonah | The Forgiving God |
| Micah | The Messenger With Beautiful Feet |
| Nahum | The Avenger of God’s Elect |
| Habakkuk | The Great Evangelist, Crying For Revival |
| Zephaniah | The Restorer of the Remnant |
| Haggai | The Cleansing Fountain |
| Zechariah | The Pierced Son |
| Malachi | The Son of Righteousness |
NEW TESTAMENT
| Matthew | The Messiah |
| Mark | The Miracle Worker |
| Luke | The Son of Man |
| John | The Son of God |
| Acts | The Ascended Lord |
| Romans | The Justifier |
| 1 & 2 Corinthians | The Last Adam |
| Galatians | The One Who Sets Us Free |
| Ephesians | The Christ of Riches |
| Philippians | The God Who Meets Our Every Need |
| Colossians | The Fullness of The Godhead |
| 1 & 2 Thessalonians | The Soon Coming King |
| 1 & 2 Timothy | The Mediator Between God And Man |
| Titus | The Blessed Hope |
| Philemon | The Friend, Closer Than a Brother |
| Hebrews | The Blood That Washes Away My Sins |
| James | The Great Physician |
| 1 & 2 Peter | The Chief Shepherd |
| 1 & 2 & 3 John | Everlasting Love |
| Jude | The God our Saviour |
| Revelation | The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords! |
Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior? If you believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins and you are ready to accept His free gift of eternal life, say this prayer:
Dear Jesus,
I admit that I am a sinner. I believe that You died for my sins and that God raised You from the dead. Forgive me of all my sins; come into my heart today and live forever. Give me a home in Heaven when I die. Help me to obey you. Amen.
Takeaway
I strongly believe that every Christian should read the entire Bible at least once in their lives. If you’re a follower of Christ, you need to know what is written in the Holy Book. It will help you to know more about God and His will for humanity.
However, it’s not enough to read the entire Bible. You need to take it a step further by studying and meditating on the Word.
Remember, the purpose of reading and studying the Bible is to know God and to be transformed by Him.
If you want to read the Bible chronologically, here is a link to a Chronological Bible Reading Plan taken from Bible Study Tools website.
If you would like Bible Study Sheets to help you study the Bible in a simple yet effective way, you can download these FREE SOAP Bible Study Sheets.
