Chapter 2
Lights, Camera, Action! Previewing the Bible’s Stage and Storyline
In This Chapter
Becoming familiar with the biblical stage: Ancient Israel
Understanding the central theme of the biblical drama: Covenants
Watching a preview of the entire Bible
T he Bible is a big book. After all, it covers everything from the beginning of Creation to the end of time. But the Bible doesn’t have to be intimidating. It was written to be read, and it contains some of the world’s greatest literature.
Like many works of literature, the Bible is best experienced as a continuous narrative. However, we realize that different people have different interests. You may wish to take in the botanical wonders of the Garden of Eden and experience what it’s like to live in Paradise with Adam and Eve. You may desire to journey to Egypt to see the pyramids and relive Israel’s deliverance from slavery under the leadership of Moses. You may want to venture to the Sea of Galilee and interact with Jesus and his followers, witnessing firsthand Jesus’ teaching and miracle working.
Whatever your interests, this chapter gives you the layout of the biblical stage and a preview of the entire biblical drama, allowing you to see the big picture and identify the people, places, and events you want to see first.
Getting a Glimpse of the Biblical Stage
The Bible, like most dramas, is easier to understand if you have an idea of the layout of the stage. Although the Bible’s stage extends across three continents (Asia, Africa, and Europe), here’s a map of center stage, where most of the biblical drama takes place (see Figure 2-1).
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Figure 2-1: The map or “stage” where much of the biblical drama unfolds. |
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With this map, and the short summary of the biblical drama that follows, you can dive into the Bible wherever you want . . . without getting lost!
Seeing a Preview of the Biblical Drama
The Bible, though a vast work, has a coherent plot and storyline that centers around its main character: God. That’s right. The Bible, at its heart, is an account of the “life and times” of God. In fact, if we were to write a one- sentence summary of the biblical drama, it would read something like this:
The Bible tells the story of God and His relationship with His creation—most particularly, humankind—which He initiates through a series of covenants.
Of course, there’s a lot to this relationship and its development, which we explore throughout this book. For now, we should say a word about covenants, since they play such an important role in the biblical text.
If you’re a lawyer, you’re probably thinking, “God needs a good lawyer.” And this may be true. But, in the end, it probably wouldn’t help, because the Bible presents God as not only entering willfully into this “one-sided” agreement but initiating it. What’s more, the Bible portrays God as maintaining His end of the bargain no matter what the behavior of the other party. This preferential treatment will raise your moral hackles at times, especially when God blesses complete scoundrels simply because He made a covenant with them or their ancestors. Yet, even in the face of these seeming injustices, the biblical authors are trying to make a point: God is faithful (He keeps His promises) and forgiving (He shows kindness even to total rogues).
Experiencing the saga of the Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament) begins “In the beginning,” which, as Julie Andrews realized long ago, is “a very good place to start.”
The primeval history (Genesis 1–11)
After describing the creation of the cosmos, the Bible focuses on the first humans, Adam and Eve, who, though starting out in “Paradise,” end up “East of Eden” (literally, which is where the John Steinbeck book and subsequent James Dean movie got their title). The reason for this change of address is that a serpent convinces the first humans to disobey God’s command not to eat the forbidden fruit (not an apple — we explain where this idea came from in Chapter 3). Soon things go from bad to worse — Adam and Eve’s offspring, Cain and Abel (see Chapter 4), have the world’s first sibling rivalry, which leaves Abel dead and Cain on the run. This downward spiral continues as the world becomes so filled with violence that God sends a flood to destroy it (see Chapter 4). The only survivors are a man named Noah and his family, along with the animals they bring on the cruise ship (called an ark) that Noah builds to ride out the flood. After the flood, God promises Noah never to destroy the earth again (called the Noahic Covenant).
Although given a fresh start, humans again begin down the wrong moral path by deciding to build a city and giant tower “whose top reaches into the heavens” rather than spreading throughout the earth, as God had commanded. Concerned that such unchecked power could lead to catastrophe, God disperses the inhabitants of this city by confusing their language. The unfinished tower and city are given the name Babel (from which we get the word babble, meaning to speak incomprehensibly).
The patriarchs (Genesis 12–50)
To carry out His plan of restoring humans to the good life, God chooses a man named Abram (meaning “exalted father”), whom He renames Abraham (meaning “father of many”) in recognition of His intention to give Abraham and his barren wife, Sarah, numerous descendants (see Chapter 5). As further confirmation of this intention, God makes a covenant with Abraham (called the Abrahamic Covenant), promising him that his descendants will become a great nation, and that they will live in a land “flowing with milk and honey” (that’s Bible-speak for bountiful flocks [milk] and fields [honey]). God’s decision to bless Abraham, Sarah, and their descendants is not just for them, however. God intends that through Abraham and Sarah’s offspring “all the nations of the earth will be blessed.”
These promises are passed down to Abraham’s son, Isaac, and then to Isaac’s son, Jacob, whose 12 sons become the progenitors of the twelve tribes of Israel (see Chapter 6). Due to a severe famine in their homeland, Jacob and his sons and their families move to Egypt, where things go well for them largely due to the reputation and influence of Jacob’s son, Joseph (of Technicolor Dreamcoat fame).
Moses and the exodus (Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy)
Generations come and go, and a new Pharaoh (or king) arises in Egypt “who knew not Joseph.” Feeling threatened by what is now a very large population of non-Egyptians in his borders, Pharaoh decides to enslave the Israelites (as they’re now called, after their ancestor Israel/Jacob). For years, the Israelites “slave away” under their Egyptian taskmasters, until one day God chooses a man named Moses to deliver them from their bondage (see Chapter 7). At first, Pharaoh refuses to let the Israelites go, but God forces his hand by sending a series of plagues that leaves his country decimated. Now free at last, Moses and the Israelites depart from Egypt and arrive at Mount Sinai, where God gives this new nation conceived in liberty a constitution, known as the Mosaic Covenant. God tells the Israelites that their well-being as a nation will be a direct result of their continued obedience to the laws of this constitution, laws that are succinctly embodied in the Ten Commandments.
Joshua and the period of the judges (Joshua, Judges, and Ruth)
Moses’ generation is prohibited from entering the Promised Land due to its continual rebellion against God, but the next generation enters and conquers it under the capable leadership of a man named Joshua (see Chapter 8). Soon after Joshua’s death, however, the nation’s moral resolve weakens, and the Israelites begin engaging in the forbidden practices of their neighbors, including worshiping other gods. As punishment, God raises up various nations from among Israel’s neighbors, who harass and oppress them. When the Israelites repent and ask for help, God sends deliverers known as “judges” (see Chapter 8), who defeat Israel’s enemies and initiate a period of peace. But this peace is short-lived, as Israel again turns away from God.
The united monarchy (1 and 2 Samuel, 1 Kings 1–11, 1 Chronicles, and 2 Chronicles 1–9)
Tired of the vagaries of life under the judges, the people ask the last judge, Samuel, for a king “to rule over us and protect us from our enemies.” Although he feels that this is a rejection of God’s “Kingship,” God tells him to do as the people ask, and Israel gets its first king: a man named Saul. At first, God blesses Saul, giving him success after success over Israel’s enemies. However, Saul soon falls out of favor with God, and He appoints a new king: a shepherd boy named David (see Chapter 9). David’s rule, like Saul’s, begins well, and David finds himself on top of the world. Unfortunately, from this vantage point David sees more than he ought to. One day, while walking on his palace roof, he spies a beautiful but married woman, named Bathsheba, with whom David commits adultery. To make matters worse, David has her husband killed so that he can marry her. Although God had promised David and his descendants an “eternal kingship” (known as the “Davidic Covenant”),” David’s reign, and the reigns of many of his descendants, will experience difficulty and disaster.
After David’s death, his son, Solomon, takes the throne (see Chapter 10), and God gives him exceptional wisdom to rule his vast kingdom. Although his reign is marked by economic prosperity and international influence, Solomon’s crowning achievement is the construction of Jerusalem’s Temple. Despite these successes, Solomon’s pork-barrel politics alienate a number of his constituents, and in his old age he turns toward other gods.
The divided monarchy (1 Kings 12–22, 2 Kings, and 2 Chronicles 10–36)
Shortly after Solomon’s death (around 925 B.C.E.), the ten northern tribes of Israel secede from the union, forming their own kingdom called Israel (see Chapter 10). The southern kingdom remains under the sovereignty of David’s descendants and takes the name Judah, from the name of David’s tribe. The northern kingdom of Israel experiences a number of turbulent dynastic transitions, and only lasts until 721 B.C.E., when it’s conquered by the Assyrians, a powerful nation from the Mesopotamian region. The Assyrians transplant many of Israel’s inhabitants, resulting in the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. The southern kingdom of Judah, which is ruled by a descendant of David throughout its history, lasts until 586 B.C.E., when it’s conquered by the Babylonians, another powerful nation from the Mesopotamian region. When the Babylonians conquer Judah, they destroy Jerusalem, including Solomon’s Temple, and send its most important inhabitants into exile, initiating what’s known as the Exilic Period.
The Exilic and Postexilic Periods (Ezra, Nehemiah, Daniel, and Esther)
The Jews, so named from their status as former inhabitants of Judah, live in Babylonian exile until 539 B.C.E. (see Chapter 11), at which time the Persians conquer the Babylonians and give the Jews permission to return to their land. This begins the Postexilic Period.
Not everyone takes the Persians up on the offer to return home, however. In fact, many Jews choose to stay in their new “homeland.” Yet enough people do return to reconstitute a Jewish community in the former territory of Judah. The Jews eventually rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple, initiating what’s called the Second Temple Period (the First Temple being Solomon’s). Under the leadership of Ezra, a priest, and Nehemiah, the governor of Judea, the Jews rededicate themselves to obey the Law of Moses (see Chapter 12).
Great expectations (The Prophets, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Song of Songs, and Ecclesiastes)
The story of the Hebrew Bible ends with promises of future blessings for the Jews in their homeland under a king from the line of David who will come to deliver them from their enemies (see Chapter 13). Like David, their new king will rule over a reconstituted Israel and usher in a period of economic prosperity and international influence. Yet, unlike David, this new king will establish a kingdom of justice and peace that will be for all people and will never end. Until then, the Jews are to pursue wisdom and righteousness (see Chapter 14) and continue in their worship of God (see Chapter 15).
Appreciating the action of the Apocrypha
The Apocrypha, which is part of the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Old Testament, is a collection of Jewish writings that, like the Hebrew Bible, is very rich and diverse. In the Apocrypha, you find history, poetry, philosophy, and theology, as well as stories about love and war, life and death, and all those other themes that produce best-selling books and hit movies. Yet, unlike the Hebrew Bible, we’re not aware of any bestsellers or hit movies based on the Apocrypha. Moreover, the books making up the Apocrypha are not easily placed into a flowing narrative. Thus, the best way to give you an overview of this part of the Bible is to recount the history of the Jews during this period.
Alexander the Great and the Greeks (1 Maccabees 1)
About 200 years after the Persians conquer the Babylonians and give the Jews permission to return to their homeland, the Persians are themselves conquered by the Greeks, under the leadership of Alexander the Great (330 B.C.E). After Alexander’s death in 323 B.C.E., his kingdom is divided among his four generals. Although the Greek kings ruling over the Jews are relatively benevolent toward them, one king in particular, Antiochus Epiphanes, takes a disliking toward them and attacks Jerusalem. In the process, Antiochus desecrates the Temple and prohibits the Jews from observing their sacred rites, including keeping the Sabbath and circumcising their infant boys.
The Maccabean Revolt (1 Maccabees 2 — 16 and 2 Maccabees)
These offenses prove too much for the Jews, and they eventually rise up in revolt, first under a man named Mattathias and then under his son, Judah. Judah’s nickname, “the Maccabee” or “the Hammer,” eventually gives the rebellion (the Maccabean Revolt) and the books recounting these events (1 and 2 Maccabees) their names (see Chapter 16). Judah and his forces soon free Jerusalem and cleanse the Temple — an event commemorated today as Hanukkah. Although Judah never lives to see the Jews obtain complete political and religious autonomy, later generations do. This state of affairs lasts for another 100 years, after which time a new power arises and conquers all the lands formerly held by the Greeks, and then some: Rome.
Watching the drama of the New Testament
When the curtain opens on the New Testament, Judea and the lands formerly known as Israel are under Roman rule. The Roman-appointed “King of the Jews” is Herod the Great, during whose reign Jesus is born.
The life of Jesus (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John)
The gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John recount Jesus’ humble beginnings as a baby born “in the little town of Bethlehem” (King David’s hometown) and his upbringing in the even littler town of Nazareth in the north of Israel, near the Sea of Galilee (see Chapter 18). Once grown, Jesus attracts large crowds with his profound teachings and miraculous powers (see Chapter 19). Moreover, Jesus claims to be the promised Davidic king or Messiah — a Hebrew word meaning “anointed one” (Greek christos, from which the name Christ derives) — foretold by the Hebrew Bible. Jesus’ growing popularity, however, does not sit well with certain Roman and Jewish authorities, who view this growing movement as a threat to their power and the well-being of the region. Thus, for reasons both political and personal, Jesus is tried, condemned, and crucified (see Chapter 19).
This is not the end of the story, though. According to Jesus’ followers, he rose again from the dead. His death, they argue, was necessary as a sacrifice for humankind’s wrongdoing as part of a “New Covenant” that God is making with all people, a covenant that marks the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham long ago — that all the families on earth will be blessed through his “seed” (Jesus). Jesus’ resurrection demonstrates that he has defeated sin and death, and that one day God’s kingdom of righteousness and justice will be established on earth forever. In the meantime, Jesus’ followers begin to spread his teachings “to the ends of the earth” with the purpose of seeing God’s kingdom established in human hearts. A movement is born.
The early church (The Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles)
Soon thousands of people become followers of Jesus and his teachings (see Chapter 20). The spread of Christianity, as this movement comes to be called, is due in large part to a man named Paul, a onetime persecutor of Christians who has become one of its chief promoters. Through extensive traveling and letter writing, Paul founds churches throughout the Mediterranean basin (see Chapter 21). Others, too, contribute to the growth of Christianity, including Peter and John, two of Jesus’ closest followers, and Jesus’ brother, James (see Chapter 22). Soon this movement spreads throughout the Roman Empire.
The beginning of the end (Revelation)
Christianity’s growth begins to be perceived as a threat to the Roman Empire because its followers give first allegiance to Jesus and not to Caesar. As a result of this “defiance,” intense persecution breaks out against Christians, the character of which is described in the Book of Revelation (see Chapter 23). The author of this book, however, envisions a day when God will vindicate those who die as martyrs by overthrowing the kingdoms of this world and establishing the Kingdom of God. In the end, Paradise will be restored as Jesus defeats “the serpent of old” and the Tree of Life is again made available to all those who believe in him, symbolizing eternal life in heaven.
With this, the Christian Bible ends, but not before taking you on an unforgettable journey — a journey that has helped give rise to three major religions (see Chapter 24) and that continues to have an impact on the artistic and literary expression of our world (see Chapter 25).