66 Books and a Challenge

By Betty Martin

There are 39 books in the Old Testament. Did you know that if you multiply 3x9, youll have the number of New Testament books? Did you know that the 5 New Testament books that start with the letter T are all grouped together? If you think of Ephe as a boys name, its easy to remember Galatians-Ephesians-Philippians-Colossians if you remember Gal meets boy, they flip over each other and then collide into marriage. Tips like these will help you find your way around the Bible Books. The Bible does not need to be intimidating. This book will help you become a Bible Scholar!

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Aug 29, 2016
• ISBN: 9781512745450

Betty Martin

Dr. Betty Martin has had her hands on people professionally for over 40 years, first as a Chiropractor and upon retiring from that practice, as a certified Surrogate Partner and Somatic Sex Educator. Her explorations in somatic-based therapy and practices informed her creation of the Wheel of Consent. Betty developed the training "Like a Pro: The Wheel of Consent for Professionals", to support practitioners to create empowered agreements in their client sessions. Originally developed to teach consent skills to sex workers and touch providers, the training is now attended by somatic therapists, sexuality educators, medical and health care workers, activists, and the spectrum of touch-based professional providers. It starts with touch and expands into all forms of human relating. www.bettymartin.org.

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CONTENTS

Preface

Bible 101

Bible Basics

Fun With Numbers

Old Testament

Books of Law

Genesis

Exodus

Leviticus

Numbers

Deuteronomy

Books of History

Joshua

Judges

Ruth

I Samuel

II Samuel

I Kings, II Kings

I and II Chronicles

Ezra

Nehemiah

Esther

Books of Poetry

Job

Psalms

Proverbs

Ecclesiastes

Song of Solomon

Major Prophets

Isaiah

Jeremiah

Lamentations

Ezekiel

Daniel

Minor Prophets

Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah

Hosea

Joel

Amos

Obadiah

Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk

Jonah

Micah

Nahum

Habakkuk

Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi

Zephaniah

Haggai

Zechariah

Malachi

Old Testament Review

New Testament

The Gospels

Matthew

Mark

Luke

John

Acts, Romans, I Corinthians, II Corinthians

Acts

Romans

I Corinthians

II Corinthians

Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians

Galatians

Ephesians

Philippians

Colossians

I Thessalonians, II Thessalonians, I Timothy, II Timothy

I Thessalonians

II Thessalonians

I Timothy

II Timothy

Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James

Titus

Philemon

Hebrews

James

I and II Peter, I, II and III John

I Peter

II Peter

I John

II John

III John

Jude and Revelation

Jude

Revelation

New Testament Review

How To Become A Christian

About The Author

PREFACE

My husband and I teach a Sunday school class of seventh-to-ninth graders. Great kids. When my husband would ask them to turn to a certain Bible passage, some of them looked at us like we were from outer space. They had no idea what we were talking about. We even supplied Bibles, in case they forgot to bring their own or did not own one. Even with a Bible in hand, they still had no idea what was inside. Sometimes my husband would gently remind them of the Table of Contents at the beginning of the Bible. Or, since the classroom Bibles were all the same, he would say, Does anybody have the page number we want?

I remember the fun I had years ago when our youth group would have Bible drills. Hold up your Bibles. Repeat the Scripture reference. On Go!, we’d bring our Bibles down to our laps and try to be the first to find the Scripture verse. A number of the kids in our class today would not have any fun with a Bible drill, since many of them don’t know how to navigate their way through the Bible.

I want them to learn about God’s Word. I want them to learn to feel at ease with God’s Word and be able to look up its many promises.

Many adults also have the problem of not knowing their way around the Bible. During church services, I’ve seen adults slam their Bibles on their laps in frustration after unsuccessfully looking for a particular Bible reference.

This book will help you learn the placements of the 66 books of the Bible. From Genesis to Revelation, there are hints and methods that will help you know where all the books are located. (You knew that Genesis is the first book of the Bible, and that Revelation is the last? You’ve already knocked the list down from 66 to 64. You’re on your way!)

Will it be easy? No, probably not. But please don’t stop reading. You will be surprised at how much easier it will be to find the book you want. And I assure you, it can become easy.

So I present to you a challenge. Can you name all 66 books of the Bible, in order? Maybe you used to know them, but can’t recall them now. This book will help you. Whether you are learning the books for the first time, or need a refresher, we are going to explore ways to help you know where the books are located. You can do it. Take the challenge!

References used in this book are from the New International Version of the Bible. "A Closer Look" is given of each book of the Bible. Please keep in mind that this is a brief look of the book. It is not meant to be a detailed explanation or all-inclusive. It is my hope that each Look will whet your appetite so you will want to investigate more. Get into God’s Word. Discover what God is saying to you.

BIBLE 101

Why bother? Why should we learn the names of the Bible books? Will it make us smarter than the average fifth grader? Will it assure us a place in Heaven after we die?

The answer to both of the last two questions is no. Your entrance into Heaven is not based on how much you know about His Word. But the Bible IS God’s Word. It is a way God communicates with us. Can you imagine? The God of the universe loves us so much that He wants to communicate with us.

The God who made me, who knows me better than I know myself, left me His Word so I can get to know Him. God should be the center of my life. Doesn’t it make sense that I should want to know what His Word says?

There are many promises in God’s Word. There we learn of His great, tremendous love for us. The Bible tells us how God wants us to live. It helps us learn more about God. To find out what God has to say to us, we need to study God’s Word. I believe it pleases God when we spend time in His Word.

There’s a saying: When we pray, we talk to God.

When we read God’s Word, He talks to us.

I want God to talk to me. I want God’s presence to be real in my life. You can bet I’m going to spend time in God’s Word.

God is real, so we should revere and respect His Word. It is imperative that we find out what He says. The Bible is the Word of God. Let’s take time to dig into it and familiar ourselves with its treasures.

Before we learn about the individual books, let’s cover some basics. What is the Bible? You could go into a bookstore and find a bible on just about anything, The Bible of Golfing: All about golf. The Bible of Gardening: Everything you need to know to plant and grow a beautiful garden. A bible about boxing. The bible of…you think of the topic, and there’s probably a bible about it. No, these are not the bibles to which we are referring.

We are interested in the Holy Bible. God’s Word. God inspired and used approximately forty men of very different backgrounds to record His Word. It was written over a period of 1500 years, on three continents, in three different languages. This book, the Bible, has lasted the test of time and has changed people’s lives.

No original manuscripts of the books of the Bible are known to exist today. They were originally written on baked clay tablets, sheepskin parchment, papyrus reed, copper, or calfskin vellum. The Old Testament Books of the Law, penned by Moses, were kept in the ark during the Israelites’ journey in the wilderness. Joshua’s book was later added. The books stayed in the ark during the time the ark was in Jerusalem. Historical books, from the time of Joshua to David, were placed in the temple in Jerusalem. Solomon’s writings, and those of the prophets, were also added and placed in the temple. The writings of Haggai and Zechariah were added after the temple was rebuilt. Ezra collected sacred writings of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Malachi. Thirty-nine books were recognized as authoritative Scriptures of the Old Testament.

The New Testament books, also written over a period of time, included original teachings of the apostles to the early Christian churches. When early church leaders noted that some men were preaching distorted teachings, they gathered together and formalized what Scriptures to accept. Twenty-seven books were recognized as inspired and decided upon by early Christians. The 27 books became the New Testament. The total collection of 66 books, 39 Old Testament Scriptures and 27 New Testament Scriptures, was recognized by the early church as the complete authoritative Scriptures.

Bible books are divided into chapters and verses, to help us locate various Scriptures. Old Testament Jews divided the Word into sections for use in their synagogue services. Chapter divisions were done in the 13th century. The Old Testament was divided into verses in the 15th century, the New Testament in the 16th century.

Scriptures were hand-written and copied. By 500 AD, the Scriptures had been translated into over 500 languages. In 600 AD, Latin was the only language allowed for Scripture. Gutenberg’s printing press revolutionized the way to pass on Scripture. The first book ever printed was Gutenberg’s Bible in Latin. Soon after, a Bible was printed in Greek. Martin Luther gave us a German New Testament. William Tyndale printed the first New Testament in the English language. The King James Version, printed in 1611, was a translation done by forty-seven scholars. The Old Testament was translated from Hebrew and Aramaic languages. The New Testament was translated from Greek. The King James Bible became the standard version for English-speaking schools.

Several versions of the Bible are now available. The American Standard Version was the first major American revision of the King James Version. The New International Version is another modern translation. Some translate word for word, some phrase for phrase. These versions are easier for us to read than the Old English of the King James Version. Many other versions are available today. Though the words or phrases may be slightly different, all have the 66 books that the early church and historians agreed upon as the complete authoritative Scriptures.

Earlier we asked: What is the Bible? It is this: God’s Word.

Many people say they believe in God. If you truly believe that God is real, the creator of the universe, He loves you, He has a plan for your life, He is in control of all things—then it makes sense that you would want to find out what God’s Word says. We should respect God’s Word. It is amazing that the God of the universe loves and cares for us so much that He gives us His Word so we can learn more about Him.

BIBLE BASICS

The Bible is divided into two main parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament comes first, then the New. You may think that is odd, since things are new first and then get old. The Old Testament tells us of the past, of older times. The New Testament reveals truths that occurred in newer times, after the times of the Old Testament. The Old Testament is first, revealing events that occurred first. The newer events are shared in the New Testament. This will make more sense as we look more closely at the Old and New Testament Books.

Another big difference in the Old and New Testaments is related to Jesus Christ. The Old Testament tells us of the times before the birth of Jesus. In the New Testament, we learn of events after the birth of Jesus.

The Old Testament covers a lot of history. Scholars date the Old Testament as written 1400 B.C. to 430 B.C. (before the birth of Christ). The New Testament, written in newer times, was written 45 A.D. to 90 A.D. (after the death of Christ).

In our Bibles, the Old Testament is first, followed by the New Testament. Of the total 66 books, 39 are in the Old Testament and 27 are in the New Testament. The name of the book is the first item we need to know for the reference.

Have you heard the expression John 3:16 and wondered what it meant? When a pastor says, Turn in your Bibles to John 3:16, he is referencing a particular verse in the book of John. The reference tells us where a particular verse or group of verses can be found.

The Bible is composed of 66 books. Each book is divided into chapters. Each chapter is further divided into verses. The reference John 3:16 means that you would go to the book of John (a New Testament book), go to the third chapter, and look for the sixteenth verse in that chapter.

To find Psalm 117:2, you would turn to the Old Testament book of Psalms, to its 117th chapter, and to the second verse.

For Genesis 6:8, you would first locate the book of Genesis (the very first book of the Old Testament), find the sixth chapter, and then the eighth verse.

If the pastor says, Today we’ll be looking at Romans 8:37-39, you would look for the book of Romans (a New Testament book). Then turn to the eighth chapter. He will be preaching about verses thirty-seven, thirty-eight, and thirty-nine.

Most references have three parts: book, chapter, verse. Just a few do not. When I first heard of a reference like Obadiah 4, I was baffled. Then I learned that the book of Obadiah has only one chapter. The reference refers to the fourth verse.

There are five books of the Bible that have just one chapter. Their references are slightly different.

The number of chapters in each book varies. The dividing of books into chapters and verses was done by man to facilitate finding particular passages. Psalms, with 150 chapters, has more chapters than any other book. Haggai has two chapters. Nahum has three chapters. You could read a whole book in less than a day, or even less than a half-hour. Other books have many more chapters. Matthew has twenty-eight chapters. Mark has sixteen chapters. Isaiah has sixty-six chapters. The numbers vary considerably.

The number of verses in each chapter also varies. The shortest chapter of the Bible is found in Psalms. Psalm 117 has two verses. The longest chapter of the Bible is also found in Psalms. Psalm 119 has 176 verses. Isaiah 66 (the sixty-sixth chapter of the book Isaiah) has twenty-four verses. Malachi, chapter four, has six verses.

You don’t need to memorize how many chapters are in each book or how many verses are in each chapter. Knowing which book, chapter, and verse you want will help you easily locate it.

Quick review:

There are 66 books in the Bible.

The Bible is divided into two testaments: Old Testament and New Testament.

There are 39 books in the Old Testament.

There are 27 books in the New Testament.

Books are divided into chapters.

Chapters are divided into verses.

Fun facts:

Five books of the Bible have one chapter.

Psalms has more chapters than any other book, with 150 chapters.

Psalm 117 has the smallest numbers of verses. It has two verses.

Psalm 119 has more verses than any other book. It has 176 verses.

FUN WITH NUMBERS

Sixty-six books. Can you learn them? Yes, Yes, YES!

If I were asked to pick a number to represent God, I would pick the number seven. To me, seven is a number of perfection, of completion. The creation story in Genesis tells us of seven days. God blessed the seventh day. There are many examples where the number seven was a key value. Look at the following:

• In Genesis 41, Pharaoh dreamt of seven fat cows, seven lean cows, seven healthy heads of grain, and seven thin heads of grain. Joseph interpreted the dreams to represent seven years of good harvest, followed by seven years of famine.

• Deuteronomy 7 tells of seven greater and mightier nations that God will drive out when the Hebrew people enter to possess the land.

• Deuteronomy 28 says God will cause our enemies to flee before us seven ways.

• In the sixth chapter of Acts, seven men were chosen who were known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom.

• In the book of Revelation, John writes to the seven churches in Asia. John saw seven lampstands. He saw someone like a son of man holding seven stars in His right hand.

• Jacob worked for Laban seven years to gain permission to marry his daughter Rachel. Laban tricked Jacob into marriage with his daughter Leah. Jacob then worked another seven years for Rachel.

• The anointed priest dipped his finger into the sacrificial blood of the bull and sprinkled it seven times in front of the curtain as a sin offering.

• Moses sprinkled oil on the altar seven times, to consecrate it.

• The walls of Jericho fell down after the Israelites marched around the city for seven days, and circled the city seven times on the seventh day.

• Elijah’s servant went and looked toward the sea seven different times before the miracle of rain came. (I Kings 18:43).

• Naaman dipped himself in the waters of the Jordan seven times before his leprosy disappeared. (II Kings 5:10-14).

• There are seven national Jewish feasts commanded by God.

Every seventh day is a Sabbath day. Every seventh year is a Shemitah or Sabbath year. Every seventh Shemitah there is the year of Jubilee. Seven seems to be a significant number. Of course, no number is worthy enough to value our great God. But if I had to pick a number, I would choose seven.

For man, I would choose the number six. We are certainly not as great was our heavenly Father. We are less than God, but God highly values us. God created man on the sixth day, and gave us wisdom to rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground. (Genesis 1:26).

There were six cities of refuge, a benefit God provided for man as a sanctuary for those who accidentally killed someone.

I mention these numbers because they help me remember the number of books in the Bible. What is the number of man? Six. And the Bible, God’s Word, was written for man’s benefit. How many books are in the Bible? 66!

And man? What is man, that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings, and crowned him with glory and honor. (Psalm 8:4-5). So man gets the number 6. The Bible, given to mankind, has 66 books! (Maybe that will help you remember the number of books in the Bible).

If you remember that 6 represents the number for man, and that the Bible was written for man, it makes it easier to remember that there are 66 books in the Bible.

It is interesting to note that the number for Antichrist is 666. Satan wants to be a god. He thinks of himself very highly. Yet he could never be a seven. He tries. So he takes a six, and another six, and another six. 666.

There are 39 books in the Old Testament. There are 27 books in the New Testament. If you can remember that there are 39 books in the Old Testament, there is a neat little trick to help you remember the number of books in the New Testament. Look at the number 39. It is composed of two numbers: a 3 and a 9. Multiply the two numbers together. 3x9=27. Voila! Thirty-nine books are in the Old Testament; and 3x9, or 27, is the number of books in the New Testament. Course, you could always subtract 39 from 66 to get 27, but it’s more fun (and easier) to just multiply the 3 and 9 together.

Maybe you’re not sure of the number of total books in the Bible. When I asked our Young Teen Sunday School Class, they guessed there were 64 books…65 books…67 books. (Remember, 6 represents the number for man. The Bible was written for man. There are 66 books in the Bible). If you know there are 39 books in the Old Testament, you could then multiply 3x9 to get 27, the number of books in the New Testament. Add 39 and 27 together, and you come up with a total of 66 books. (There’s those 6’s again. Wasn’t the Bible written for man?)

Here’s something you might want to try if you have trouble remembering there are 39 books in the Old Testament. Look at this statement: God is love. If I had to sum up the Old Testament in a single sentence, I would say: God is love. It is a statement consisting of 3 words. In the statement God is love, there are 9 letters. 3 words, 9 letters. 3…9… 3..9.. 3.9. 39! There are 39 books in the Old Testament.

He lives! is a statement that could represent the New Testament. He lives! 2 words. A total of 7 letters. 2 words. 7 letters. 2…7… 2..7.. 2.7. 27! There are 27 books in the New Testament.

God is love. God is love. God is love. (3 words; 9 letters).

He lives. He lives. He lives. (2 words; 7 letters).

God is love. He lives. Maybe these sentences will help you to remember the number of books in the Old Testament and the number of books in the New Testament. But if you find this method too confusing, don’t use it. 3x9 (39) will always be 27. Rely on that.

The Bible, created for man, has 66 books.

The Old Testament has 39 books.

The New Testament has 27 books.

You now know more Bible facts than many people that have been Christians for years. You are well on your way to becoming a Bible scholar.

Old

Testament

THE OLD TESTAMENT

There are 39 books in the Old Testament. To help us learn these books, we are going to break them into five major groups. In order, they are:

Books of Law

Books of History

Books of Poetry

Major Prophets

Minor Prophets

Law. History. Poetry. Major Prophets. Minor Prophets.

Law. History. Poetry. Major Prophets. Minor Prophets.

Law. History. Poetry. Major Prophets. Minor Prophets.

If you want to find your way around the Old Testament, it will be much easier if you learn these categories. It will help you tremendously.

Learning these major categories will help you learn where books are located, and help you find them quickly. For instance, let’s say you want to turn to the book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah is a major prophet book. You open your Bible, and find that you are in the book of Psalms. Psalms is a book of poetry. Since the books of poetry come before the major prophet books, you know you need to turn the pages further to the right to get to Jeremiah. If you flip too many pages and find yourself in one of the minor prophet books, you know you need to turn back to the left in your Bible, to get out of the minor prophet section and into the major prophet group.

You might be asking, How do I know that Jeremiah is a major prophet book and that Psalms is a book of poetry? We will look at each category individually and learn what books are in each one.

39 books. How many books are in each section?

Books of Law-there are 5

Books of History-there are 12

Books of Poetry-there are 5

Major Prophet Books-there are 5

Minor Prophet Books-there are 12

5–12–5–5-—12.

Law, History, Poetry, Major Prophets, Minor Prophets.

39 books.

5+12+5+5+12=39.

Books of Law+History+Poetry+Major Prophets+Minor Prophets=Old Testament.

Once you learn what books are in each section, you will be amazed at how easy it is to find a Bible reference. Let’s get started!

Books

of

Law

BOOKS OF LAW

The first major category in the Old Testament is the Books of Law. There are five books in this section. They are:

            Genesis

            Exodus

            Leviticus

            Numbers

            Deuteronomy

These are the first five books of the Bible, the first five books of the Old Testament. It is generally accepted that Moses is the author these five books, except for the last chapter of Deuteronomy which tells of Moses’ death.

Please repeat Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy over and over and over. Then repeat it again. Repeat it often as we look at the first five books of the Bible.

Last Sunday, my husband asked our Sunday School class of young teens to turn to a verse in Leviticus. I asked, Where is Leviticus? Maybe they did not want to show off their knowledge, or maybe they just did not know. If they knew the Books of the Law are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, then they would know that Leviticus is within the first five books of the Bible. It is the third book in the Bible.

The first five books of the Bible are also known as the Pentateuch. You will not find the word Pentateuch in the Bible. It is a word of Greek origin meaning the five-fold book. In geometry, a pentagon is a five sided figure. Our Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia is a five sided building that houses most U.S. Defense Department offices. The Pentateuch refers to Genesis-Exodus-Leviticus-Numbers-Deuteronomy, the first five books of the Bible.

The Jews referred to the first five books of the Bible as the Torah, meaning law. The Pentateuch, the Torah, and the Books of Law are referring to Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

Genesis

pronounced JEN-neh-cis

Genesis means beginning. Genesis is the very first book in the Bible. It makes sense that Genesis is the beginning book of the Bible, and not placed elsewhere among the 66 books.

Genesis is full of beginnings. It tells of the beginning of the universe, the beginning of mankind, the beginning of sin, the beginning of the nation of Israel, the beginning of God’s people. It is a fascinating book that’s chock full of accounts of individual’s lives, their successes and failures.

Each time I read Genesis, I seem to learn more. That’s another fascinating thing about the Bible. It is so full of God’s richness and love. Our finite human minds are incapable understanding all of its depths.

A Closer Look at Genesis

What specifically will you find in the Book of Genesis? Go to Genesis to learn about …

■ creation

■ Adam and Eve

■ Cain and Abel

■ Noah and the flood

■ the Tower of Babel

■ Abraham, Sarah, and Isaac

■ Lot, and Sodom and Gomorrah

■ Hagar, Ishmael

■ Isaac and Rebekah

■ Jacob and Esau

■ Jacob, Laban, Leah, Rachel

■ Dinah

■ Joseph

■ God’s promise to make Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob a great nation

■ and a lot more!

These are some highlights that you will find in Genesis. Though this book does not present an in-depth study, I hope your interest will be peaked so you will want to learn more.

In Genesis, we find that God spoke the creation of the world. Adam and Eve were placed in the Garden of Eden and instructed not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They listened to the serpent and ate anyway. Not good. I could be judgmental and think, "I would never do that. Yet there have been times when I really wanted to know something … ok, begged for it. Then, when I found out the information, it sickened me. Literally. Yet I asked to be told! At those times, I feel like I’ve eaten from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. How often do we listen and chat with serpents" when we should run away, listen to and obey God?

After Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, God came to them. They did not go searching for God. God came to them. God doesn’t desert us after we sin. He still loves us and comes to us.

Do you remember Adam’s answer to God when he was questioned? "The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit. Eve’s answer was, The serpent deceived me, and I ate. Today, we still give the same answers. It’s not my fault. He/she made me do it!"

The first sin had consequences. Man now has to work, sweat, and toil to make a living. Women have menses, childbirth pains, and sometimes unhealthy desires for men. Not all desire is bad; a Godly marriage is a precious treasure. But sometimes, we females do regrettable acts due to a desire that I believe goes way back to chapter 3 of Genesis.

The first murder is found in Genesis 4. It involved Cain and Abel. Have you ever said, Am I my brother’s keeper? Did you know you were quoting the Bible when you said that?

Genesis 6 says man’s wickedness was great, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. What a sad state of affairs. God intended to wipe mankind from the face of the earth. The earth was corrupt in God’s sight and full of violence. Yet in the midst of all that violence, evil, and corruptness, we find Genesis 6:8: But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. It’s like a breath of fresh air. Noah was a righteous man. He was blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God (Genesis 6:9). In Genesis, we learn about Noah and the flood. Were Noah and his family mocked for building the ark? Rain—what was that? Had it ever rained prior to this time, or was the earth watered by dew formed on the ground? Look at God’s attention to details. God told Noah exactly how long, how wide, and how tall to make the ark. "Pairs of all creatures that have the breath of life in them came to Noah and entered the ark. Noah didn’t travel all over the earth looking for animals. God brought them to the ark. Then God shut him in." God shut the door. When God shuts a door, there’s a reason for it.

Detailed genealogical accounts are found in Genesis. It does not make for easy reading, but it shows us that God is very concerned about details in our lives.

Abraham and Sarah, Lot, Sodom and Gomorrah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Rachel, Joseph … we learn about them in Genesis. These people faced struggles, just like we do today. They were not perfect individuals. The Bible does not hide their flaws. Yet God loved them.

Abram fibbed to the Egyptians by denying that Sarai was his wife, and Sarai was taken to Pharaoh’s palace. Abram was treated well for her sake, and acquired sheep, cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels. The Lord then inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household, because of Abram’s wife Sarai. I’d like to know more. How long were Abram and Sarai separated? What was going through their minds when they were apart?

Sarai told Abram to sleep with her maidservant Hagar, because Sarai was childless. Abram complied, and Hagar conceived. No, Abram wasn’t perfect either. We then learn that Hagar began to despise her mistress Sarai, and Sarai mistreated Hagar. What a miserable time for Abram, Sarai, and Hagar.

Lot, living in Sodom, had a mob banging at his door when he sheltered two godly guests.