The second book of Kings depicts Israel as a land divided, being ruled by wicked kings who lead the Israelite people only further into idolatry and sin. Throughout this period, the prophets, notably Elijah and Elisha, bring hope for repentance and reformation by performing astounding miracles and spreading the word of God. Their efforts to lead the Israelites from their stubborn and disobedient path are chronicled in 2 Kings and, once again, God shows...

The book of Nahum speaks of the prophet by the same name that was sent to the wicked city of Nineveh to prophesy of their impending doom because they had repented only temporarily and returned soon after to sin. Nahum portrays the dangers of false and inconsistent piety and faithfulness to God as well as the consequences which follow.

The book of Psalms is a collection of poetry and songs written by numerous authors throughout the Bible, from Moses to Solomon, although a large number were written by King David. The psalms are a mixture of praise, rejoicing and lamentation to God, all conveying deep emotions to the listener. Filled with lyrical beauty, well-known verses and illuminating content, this book is an essential companion for meditative worship on all occasions.

The genre of Psalms is Songs and Poetry of all kinds. It is written by multiple authors, David wrote 73, Asaph wrote 12, the sons of Korah wrote 9, Solomon wrote 3, Ethan, and Moses each wrote one (Ps. 90), and 51 of the Psalms are anonymous. They were written over the span of approximately 900 years (Beginning at the time of Moses 1440 B.C. and through the captivity in 586 B.C.). The Psalms include praises of joy, laments, blessings, and thanksgivings....

Only one chapter long, the book of Jude is an epistle written by the half-brother of Jesus, who became a Christian only after His crucifixion. This book uses examples from the Old Testament to show the importance of obeying God and following His teachings. Jude condemns the false teachers and urges the Christians to unite and strengthen each other's faith in order to withstand their deception.

The genre of Proverbs is mainly "Proverbs" as the name describes, there are also some Parables and Poetry. This book was written mainly by Solomon, the wisest king ever to rule, however some of the later sections are written by Lemuel and Agur. It was written during Solomon's reign 970-930 B.C. He asked God for wisdom to rule God's nation and He granted the request. The main purpose of this book is to teach wisdom to God's people. Proverbs are short...

The book of Haggai was written after the return of the Jews from their exile in Babylon. Surrounded by enemies and struggling to repair their lives and city, the Jewish people despair and realize their need for God's help. Haggai instructs them to rebuild their temple to restore favor with God and warns them of the consequences of attempting to succeed without His blessings.

Isaiah is the first of the prophetic books of the Bible and was written by the man of the same name during the time of the kings in Israel. Like many of the prophets during this period, Isaiah attempted to warn the Israelites of the consequences of turning away from God. This book is filled with the promise of judgment towards sin and disobedience, but also the assurance of reward for faithfulness. Additionally, Isaiah contains beautiful, descriptive...

The New Testament is well-known for recording the miraculous life and death of Jesus, but it also contains the spread of Christianity by His disciples after the Resurrection. The majority of the New Testament is epistles written by the Apostle Paul and other notable Biblical figures to the new Church, urging them to remain strong in their faith and to not be lead astray by false prophets who sought to mingle Christianity with other beliefs. Finally,...

The epistle of James was penned by the half-brother of Jesus, who became a pillar of the church after His death. Written to a largely Jewish audience, James strongly urges the followers of Jesus to live a holy life, and to ensure that their new faith is not in words only, but is also manifested in good deeds.