Intro to Roadmap to the Bible

(Gen. 1-11)

 

If you have any questions or need clarity anytime throughout the course, feel free to send Pastor Chris an email: chris@winbap.org

 

Whether you are a brand new believer or a life-long Sunday School teacher; this class will really be a blessing for you. Each session (except the first) we will be overviewing an entire book of the bible and will offer notes/outline in advance and go over the notes at least one week in advance. This will be a multi-series class covering the entire narrative arch of the Bible starting at ground zero. We will summarize and map out the Who, What, Where, When, Why of the Bible.

Our first series will cover the first 5 books of the bible. Week #1 will be an overview of the bible, and Week #2-#6 will go from Genesis to Deuteronomy. We encourage you to read through the notes & slides in order to have a better mastery of the content of each book of the bible.

 

 


The Patriarchs

(Gen. 12-50) 

 

The rest of Genesis transitions from traversing to sprawling genealogies into a straight-forward narrative of a bronze-age migrant named Abram from Mesopotamia and his descendant’s journey to Canaan. You can break down the remainder of Genesis into four Main Stories, each centered on Abraham and his favored descendants, Issac, Jacob (Israel) and lastly Joseph. There will be many “stories within stories” from these four main stories including the iconic story of Sodom & Gomorrah, Jacob wrestling with an angel, and Joseph and his brothers, as well as many overlooked stories such as the Battle of Siddim, story of Dinah & Shechem, and the story of Judah & Tamar.

 

 

Book of Exodus

 

The book of Exodus introduces the famous prophet Moses, who will be our central protagonist for the remainder of the Torah. The book can be divided into 2 main sections, the first being the iconic Exodus story about a fugitive named Moses who reluctantly accepts God’s calling to lead the Israelite people out of Egypt into the wilderness of the Sinai Peninsula. The second half is the story of God’s Revelation on Mount Sinai, a story that will stretch from Exodus 19 until Numbers 10 where the Hebrews will camp for 2 years and enter into a foundational covenant agreement with the Lord adopting them as His holy people. 

 

Moses enters the summit of the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights learning God’s “Torah” (literally “law” or “instruction”) and is given a divine blueprint for a holy dwelling called the Tabernacle where the Lord’s presence will rest among of Israelites. After a major setback involving the people molding and worshiping a golden calf, Moses reconciles with the Lord, and the Hebrew people triumphantly fund and build the tabernacle. The book ends with God settling inside the dwelling.   

 

 

Book of Leviticus

 

The book of Leviticus picks up right where Exodus left off after Moses assembles the tabernacle and dives deeper into the inauguration ceremony briefly alluded to in Exodus chap. 40 (Beginning in the Leviticus 8). Before that, we are introduced to more priestly laws regarding the 5 different sacrificial offerings performed at the Sacrificial Altar (1-7).  In Chap. 11-16 we are introduced to more priestly laws on Purity and wrap up with Leviticus with the Holiness Code, our 4th and last collection of laws given at Mt. Sinai, based on ethical commandments which Israelites must reflect to emulate God’s holiness.

 

 


Book of Numbers

 

The book of Numbers completes the Revelation at Mt. Sinai story arc and records the Israelites journeying from Mt. Sinai to the Plains of Moab near the Jordan River, just outside the Canaanite city of Jericho. The book begins preparation for Israel’s journey to Canaan as God commands Moses to conduct a census, organize a camp formation surrounding the tabernacle, and give procedures for how the camp should travel to Canaan. After celebrating the Passover, the Israelites depart toward Kadesh (near the location where the Hagar met an angel in Genesis) from there, they send 12 spies to scope out Canaan. Once they return, the Israelites lack enough to believe they will overtake the land from the natives. For this, they are punished with 40 years wandering in the desert. After the Exodus generation dies off, their children will conquer the Transjordan, defeating two Amorite kings named Sihon & Og. The Transjordan land is appropriated to the tribes of Reuben, Gad & Manasseh. The book ends with Israelites camping on the steppes of Moab directly across the river from Jericho.

 

 


Book of Deuteronomy

 

The book of Deuteronomy is the final book of the Pentateuch (the five books of Moses) and records his three speeches Moses proclaims before he dies. The first speech is a remembrance of the journey Israelites made to reach the Jordan River, awaiting to overtake the Canaanite land,  a long-awaited promise which stretches all the way to the promise given to Abraham in Genesis 12. Moses’ second speech is the central focus of the book of Deuteronomy (which means “second law” in Greek). This speech is commonly referred to as the Deuteronomic Law or Code and it presents an expansion of the judicial and governing regulations found in the Book of Covenant (Exodus 21-23). The 3rd and shortest speech formalizes the Deuteronomic Law and pleas for the Israelites to submit to the Deuteronomic Law. The book concludes with Moses reciting a poem and final words to each tribe, before climbing Mount Nebo. Moses takes in all the splendor of the promised land before finally passing away and is succeeded by his loyal attendant Joshua. 

 

 


Book of Joshua

 

The book of Joshua picks up right where Deuteronomy leaves off, with Moses’ trusted attendant  Joshua succeeding the great prophet and preparing to finally cross into the Promised Land. 

 

Before marching to conquer the land, Joshua sends two spies to infiltrate a nearby city across the Jordan named Jericho. After being safely hidden by a harlot named Rahab, the two spies report a positive assessment of the land and begin their long and arduous campaign against the native Canaanite kings. Once the campaign is complete, Joshua begins allocating the land to each of the western tribes. At the end of the book, all tribes will be united with a covenant to be faithful to the Lord their God and no other gods at Shechem. Shortly afterward, Joshua and the high priest Eleazar pass away, leaving the Israelites and their leadership into an uncertain future…

 

 

 


Book of Judges

 

October 10th, 2021

 

The book of Judges records the long and tumultuous period between the death of Joshua and the monarchy of Saul & David. Both the beginning (Chap. 1 & 2)  and the ending (Chap. 17-21) of Judges tells about idolatry and sins of the 3rd generation of the Exodus (generation after Joshua), leading to failures in conquering the remaining land and some of the darkest and most disturbing episodes of the entire bible (Chap. 19).

 

Book of 1 Samuel

 

October 17, 2021

 

If there was a book in the bible with enough action, adventure, and scandal to be the next big Netflix blockbuster, the books of Samuel would be it! The books of 1 and 2 Samuel were originally one long book. The first part of Samuel (1 Sam) marks the end of the era of Judges, where Israel ends being a confederacy of regional tribes tenuously holding on to power and become a united kingdom and dominant power over the Levant. 1 Samuel is the first of the four “kingdom” books (1 Sam, 2 Sam, 1 King, 2 Kings) which records the history of Israel’s Kingdom from their first king, Saul, to the nation’s destruction and exile in 587 BC.      

The first half of 1 Samuel is focused on two major figures, the Israelites last judge Samuel (Chap. 1-8) and their first king, Saul (Chap. 9-14). The second half of the book is the famous saga focused on Saul and his relationship with his rival and future successor, David (Chap. 15-31)

 

 


Book of 2 Samuel

 

November 14, 2021

 

2nd Samuel picks up where 1 Samuel leaves off and completely focuses on David becoming the successor of Saul and his career as the king of Israel. This book is significant as David will become one of the most impactful figures in the Old Testament. He will establish Isreal’s permanent capital, Jerusalem, and enter into a covenant with God promising an everlasting kingship.