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Examining Facets of God’s Priceless Gem​—The Bible!

IN 1867 a South African farmer named Schalk van Niekerk was watching children play with some stones. One particularly bright and pretty stone caught his eye. “You can have it, if you like it,” said the children’s mother. Van Niekerk, though, sent the stone to a mineralogist for examination. Little had the children realized that they were playing with a large diamond worth £500!

Is it possible that you too possess a priceless jewel without realizing it? Many, for example, own a Bible, as it is an all-time best-seller, available in whole or in part in over 1,900 languages. Yet, most people have not read the Bible and hence know little about its contents.

The Bible claims to be “inspired of God” and therefore the Word of God. (2 Timothy 3:16; compare 1 Thessalonians 2:13.) It is mankind’s most precious possession. By means of it, we learn how to get the best out of life now and, more important, how to gain everlasting life! (John 17:3, 17) Could anything be more precious than that?

However, to appreciate this gem and all its facets, one must become familiar with it. At first glance, this may seem quite difficult. After all, the Bible is a collection of 66 different books. What do those books contain? Is there some reason for the order in which they appear? If so, how can a person locate special passages in the Bible?

Becoming acquainted with the Bible is a challenge. But like a real jewel, the Bible does have symmetry and order. We can see that if we briefly consider its contents.

The Hebrew Scriptures​—Pointing to Christ

The Bible is generally divided into the “Old Testament” and the “New Testament.” These are misnomers, though, giving the impression that the “Old Testament” is out-of-date and is of little value. A more appropriate name for that section of Scripture would be the Hebrew Scriptures, since this section was originally written mainly in the Hebrew language. The “New Testament” was written in Greek in the first century C.E.; hence, it is more appropriately called the Christian Greek Scriptures.

The first book of the Bible, Genesis, starts off eons ago when God creates heaven and earth and later begins preparing the earth for human habitation. The first human couple are created perfect; however, they choose the course of sin, with tragic consequences for their offspring. Yet, like a gem seen in dim light, the Bible provides a sparkle of hope for fallen mankind: a “seed” that will eventually undo the effects of sin and death. (Genesis 3:15) Who will this Seed be? Genesis begins tracing the lineage of this coming Seed, focusing on the lives of some of the Seed’s faithful ancestors, such as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Exodus next describes the birth of Moses. In many ways Moses’ life foreshadows that of the coming Seed. After ten plagues, Israel makes a grand Exodus from Egypt and is established as God’s chosen nation at Mount Sinai. Leviticus, as the name indicates, sets forth God’s regulations for the Levitical priesthood in Israel. Numbers tells of the occasions when the Israelites were numbered (by means of a census) and of events during Israel’s sojourn in the wilderness. And now, poised to enter the Promised Land, Israel receives Moses’ final exhortations. This is the subject of Deuteronomy. Pointing to the coming Seed, Moses urges the nation to listen to ‘a prophet that God will raise up.’​—Deuteronomy 18:15.

The historical books follow. These are for the most part in chronological order. Joshua describes the conquest and division of the Promised Land. Judges relates the dramatic events of the following years when Israel is governed by a series of judges. Ruth tells of a God-fearing woman, who lives during the period of the Judges and who has the privilege of becoming an ancestress of Jesus Christ.

The period of rule by judges, however, comes to an end. First Samuel tells of the tragic rule of Israel’s first king, Saul, as seen through the eyes of the prophet Samuel. Second Samuel describes the successful reign of David, Saul’s successor. First and Second Kings then take us from the glorious reign of Solomon to the sad Babylonian exile of the Israelite nation in 607 B.C.E. First and Second Chronicles recapitulate this history as viewed from the vantage point of a nation returned from this exile. Finally, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther describe how the Israelites are restored to their homeland and some of their subsequent history.

The poetic books are next, containing some of the most beautiful poetry ever written. Job provides a stirring picture of integrity under suffering and its reward. The book of Psalms contains songs of praise to Jehovah and prayers for mercy and help. These have comforted countless servants of God. In addition, Psalms has numerous prophecies that further enlighten us about the coming Messiah. Proverbs and Ecclesiastes reveal facets of divine wisdom by means of pithy sayings, while the Song of Solomon is superlative love poetry with profound prophetic meaning.

The next 17 books​—from Isaiah to Malachi—​are mainly prophetic. All, except Lamentations, bear the name of the writer. Many of these prophecies have already had remarkable fulfillments. They also point to climactic events in our day and in the near future.

The Hebrew Scriptures thus present astounding variety in form and style. Yet, all have a common theme. Their prophecies, genealogies, and dramatic events sparkle with practical wisdom and prophetic meaning.

The Christian Greek Scriptures​—The Seed Appears

Four thousand years have elapsed since man’s fall into sin. Suddenly there appears on the earthly scene the long-awaited Seed, the Messiah, Jesus! The Christian Greek Scriptures record the ministry of this key figure in human history in four different but complementary books, called Gospels. These are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

How precious to Christians are these four Gospel accounts! They tell of Jesus’ astounding miracles, his meaningful parables, his Sermon on the Mount, his example of humility, his compassion and implicit obedience to his Father, his love for his “sheep,” and finally his sacrificial death and glorious resurrection. A study of the Gospels builds in us a deep love for the Son of God. Above all, we are drawn close to the one who sent Christ​—Jehovah God. These accounts are worth reading over and over again.

Acts of Apostles takes up where the Gospels leave off. It recounts the early years of the Christian congregation from the days of Pentecost to Paul’s imprisonment in Rome in 61 C.E. In this book, we read about Stephen, the first Christian martyr, the conversion of Saul, who later becomes Paul the apostle, the bringing in of the first Gentile converts, and Paul’s exciting evangelizing trips. These accounts are both thrilling and faith building.

Twenty-one letters, or epistles, now follow. The first 14, by Paul, are named after the recipient Christians or congregations; the rest are named after the writers​—James, Peter, John, and Jude. What a wealth of admonition and encouragement these letters contain! They cover doctrine and the fulfillment of prophecies. They help Christians remain separate from the wicked environment in which they must live. They stress the need to cultivate brotherly love and other godly qualities. They set the pattern for proper congregation organization, under the leadership of spiritually older men.

As the Hebrew Scriptures end on a prophetic note, so do the Greek Scriptures. Revelation, written by the apostle John about 96 C.E., draws together the threads of prophecy and the Bible’s main theme​—the sanctification of Jehovah’s name by his Messianic Kingdom. A series of visions graphically portray the destruction of the religious, military, and political forces of Satan’s corrupt system. These are replaced by Christ’s governmental city, which turns its attention to the management of earth’s affairs. Under this Kingdom rule, God promises to “wipe out every tear . . . and death will be no more.”​—Revelation 21:4.

Is there any question, then, that the Bible is a flawless gem, reflecting divine light? If you have not read it through, why not begin doing so now? You will be attracted by its symmetry, enlightened by its brilliance, moved by its beauty, and thrilled by its message. It is indeed a “perfect present . . . from the Father of the celestial lights.”​—James 1:17.

[Chart on page 28, 29]

TABLE OF THE BOOKS OF THE BIBLE

Indicating the writer, the place of writing, the time of completion of writing, and the time covered by the events of the book.

Names of writers of some books and of places where written are uncertain. Many dates are only approximate, the symbol a. meaning “after,” b. meaning “before,” and c. meaning “circa,” or “about.”

Books of the Hebrew Scriptures (B.C.E.)

Exodus Moses Wilderness 1512 1657-1512

Leviticus Moses Wilderness 1512 1 month (1512)

Joshua Joshua Canaan c. 1450 1473-c. 1450

Judges Samuel Israel c. 1100 c. 1450-c. 1120

2 Samuel Gad; Nathan Israel c. 1040 1077-c. 1040

2 Chronicles Ezra Jerusalem (?)  c. 460 1037-537

Ezra Ezra Jerusalem c. 460 537-c. 467

Nehemiah Nehemiah Jerusalem a. 443 456-a. 443

Ecclesiastes Solomon Jerusalem b. 1000

Isaiah Isaiah Jerusalem a. 732 c. 778-a. 732

Ezekiel Ezekiel Babylon c. 591 613-c. 591

Daniel Daniel Babylon c. 536 618-c. 536

Joel Joel Judah c. 820 (?)

Amos Amos Judah c. 804

Obadiah Obadiah c. 607

Jonah Jonah c. 844

Micah Micah Judah b. 717 c. 777-717

Nahum Nahum Judah b. 632

Habakkuk Habakkuk Judah c. 628 (?)

Zephaniah Zephaniah Judah b. 648

Haggai Haggai Jerusalem 520 112 days (520)

Zechariah Zechariah Jerusalem 518 520-518

Malachi Malachi Jerusalem a. 443

Books of the Christian Greek Scriptures (C.E.)

Mark Mark Rome c. 60-65 29-33 C.E.

Romans Paul Corinth c. 56

1 Corinthians Paul Ephesus c. 55

2 Corinthians Paul Macedonia c. 55

Ephesians Paul Rome c. 60-61

Philippians Paul Rome c. 60-61

Colossians Paul Rome c. 60-61

1 Timothy Paul Macedonia c. 61-64

2 Timothy Paul Rome c. 65

Titus Paul Macedonia (?)  c. 61-64

Philemon Paul Rome c. 60-61

Hebrews Paul Rome c. 61

1 Peter Peter Babylon c. 62-64

2 Peter Peter Babylon (?)  c. 64