The biblical narrative goes back thousands of years and is full of fascinating stories. In fact, it is so full of characters and epic tales that the overarching story-behind-the-stories can easily be lost.
It is important to understand the story of the Bible because it is still going on today. It did not end with the death of Jesus or Paul or with the writing of Revelation. The story is still being written and does not end until Jesus returns.
What, then, is the story of the Bible? It is the story of God’s plan to redeem mankind and create a family to spend eternity in fellowship with Him. You might be thinking that plan began with the New Testament and the coming of Jesus. But it began long before Jesus was born.
The watershed moment of all history was when God spoke to a man named Abram and announced His plan to redeem mankind. If Abram followed Him, God would give him a national homeland and, through Abram, create a great nation through which God would bring about this great plan. He described it as a blessing to all the families of the earth. The apostle Paul said that verse was the first time the gospel of Christ was preached.
God had a plan, and He needed a people to work through to bring about that plan. Abram said yes, and it is from this point that the biblical story takes off.
To learn more about this glorious plan and the amazing story behind all the Bible stories, I invite you to Walk Thru the Bible with me. Join me today by downloading our Bible Reading Plan, and get started reading right away! Invite your friends and family to join us. I can’t wait to Walk Thru the Bible with you! {eoa}
Dr. Susan Michael is USA director of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem and host of the Out of Zion podcast.